Vestibular Delays May Have You Asking if Your child’s Learning is at Risk

This post contains information regarding vestibular development and vestibular delays. Affiliate links are included for your convenience. Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a learning and academic center. As a reminder, ILS is not a health care provider and none of our materials or services provide a diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition or learning challenge you may see in your child or student. If you seek a diagnosis or treatment for your child or student, please contact a trained professional who can provide an evaluation of the child.

When parents think about learning challenges, they often focus on reading, handwriting, or attention. However, one of the most important systems for learning begins much earlier. Many parents don’t realize it’s importance and how it may impact all of the higher learning areas as the child grows older.

The vestibular system is often called the body’s “internal GPS.” It tells the brain where the head and body are in space, helps us stay balanced, keeps our vision steady while we move, and plays a critical role with the following:

• Attention
• Posture
• Coordination
• Learning

When the vestibular system is not developing efficiently, children may appear clumsy and are constantly in motion. They may be fearful of movement or struggle in school despite being bright and capable.

Understanding the signs of vestibular delays can help parents recognize challenges early and seek appropriate support.

What Is the Vestibular System?

The vestibular system is located inside the inner ear and is one of the first sensory systems to develop during pregnancy. In fact, it begins developing as early as the first trimester and continues maturing throughout infancy and childhood.

Every time a child moves, their vestibular system comes into play. The vestibular system is needed when kids do the following:

• Jumps
• Spins
• Rolls
• Climbs
• Swings
• Changess position

When the vestibular system is activiated, receptors inside the child’s inner ear sends information to the brain about the following:

• Head position
• Speed of movement
• Direction of movement
• Gravity
• Balance
• Spatial orientation

The brain uses this information to organize movement, stabilize vision, maintain posture, and coordinate nearly every activity throughout the day.

Without an efficient vestibular system, many everyday tasks require much more effort.

Vestibular System Importance

The vestibular system acts like the body’s “master organizer.” Rather than working alone, it communicates continuously with nearly every other sensory system.

When vestibular processing is efficient, children can do the following in the classroom:

• Sit upright in their chair
• Focus on classroom instruction
• Read without losing their place
• Walk without tripping
• Catch a ball
• Navigate playground equipment
• Coordinate both sides of their body
• Maintain attention while learning

When it isn’t functioning efficiently, many developmental skills become much harder for the child and can mentally drain them throughout the day. Instead of freeing the brain up for learning, the brain is constantly worried about keeping the body calm and regulated.

How the Vestibular System Supports Other Areas of Development

There are many systems supported by vestibular input and depend on them to help kids develop and learn. If a child’s vestibular system is delayed, kids may experience setbacks with other systems and areas of development needed for executive function and cognitive growth. A few systems impacted may include the following:

Visual System

One of the vestibular system’s most important jobs is helping stabilize vision during movement through the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). This reflex allows the eyes to remain fixed on a target even while the head is moving.

Without efficient vestibular processing, children may have difficulty with the following:

• Tracking words across a page
• Copying from the board
• Maintaining visual focus
• Reading fluently
• Following moving objects
• Switching focus between near and far distances

Additionally, parents may notice that their child frequently loses their place while reading, skips words, uses their finger to track excessively beyond the expected age, or complains that reading is tiring.

Proprioceptive System

The vestibular and proprioceptive systems work together to help children understand where their bodies are in space.

While the vestibular system detects movement and head position, the proprioceptive system gathers information from muscles and joints about body position and force.

Together they allow children to do the following:

• Determine the amount of force needed for activities
• Move smoothly
• Coordinate both sides of the body
• Plan movements
• Develop body awareness

When both the vestibular and proprioceptive systems are not working efficiently together, children may do the following:

• Crash into furniture
• Push too hard, especially when writing with a pen or pencil
• Break pencils
• Spill drinks
• Appear clumsy
• Seek constant movement
• Have poor coordination

Balance and Postural Control

The vestibular system is the foundation for balance. It helps children automatically make tiny adjustments that keep them upright while walking, standing, climbing, or playing sports.

When a child’s vestibular system is delayed, the most common sign is delays with balance skills. These delays may cause children to do the following:

• Frequently falls
• Has poor balance
• Experiences difficulty standing on one foot
• Has trouble riding a bike
• Is fearful of climbing
• Difficulty walking on uneven surfaces
• Awkward running
• Poor posture

Children may tire easily because it takes more effort to maintain balance.

Muscle Tone and Core Strength

The vestibular system plays an important role in regulating muscle tone. When a child has low muscle tone, it prevents them from being able to do certain tasks in the classroom.

Children with vestibular delays may demonstrate the following:

• Poor endurance
• Weak core muscles
• Slouching
• Difficulty sitting upright
• Leaning on desks
• Wrapping legs around chairs
• Lack of focus and attention

These children often look like they’re “melting” into furniture and have a hard staying upright for long periods of time to listen to the teacher or copy notes from the chalkboard.

Bilateral Coordination

The vestibular system helps kids coordinate both sides of the body and often helps kids to complete daily functions that require additional coordination skills.

Bilateral coordination, along with the vestibular system, allows the child to do the following:

• Crawl
• Skip
• Jump
• Ride a bike
• Catch a ball
• Tie shoes
• Use scissors
• Write while stabilizing the paper

Children with vestibular challenges often struggle with activities requiring smooth coordination between the right and left sides of the body.

Motor Planning

Motor planning is a child’s ability to think of an action, organize the movement, and carry it out successfully.

Children with vestibular delays who also have trouble with motor function often have difficulty with the following:

• Learning new playground skills
• Following movement demonstrations
• Climbing obstacles
• Participating in sports
• Dancing
• Sequencing movements

They may understand what to do, but struggle to get their bodies to cooperate.

Attention and Regulation

Many parents are surprised to learn that the vestibular system directly influences attention and arousal. An efficient vestibular system helps the brain determine whether it should be calm, alert, or ready for movement.

Children with vestibular processing challenges may experience the following:

• Constant fidgeting
• Seeks movement
• Rocks in their chair
• Spins frequently
• Avoids movement entirely
• Becomes overwhelmed easily
• Has difficulty sitting through lessons

Some children appear “always on the go,” while others avoid movement because it feels uncomfortable or frightening.

Signs a Child May Have Vestibular Delays

When a child has vestibular delays, they may not struggle in every area the vestibular system touches. However, there are enough signs or symptoms that can be concerning or eye-opening for parents when they discover the vestibular system is not maturing with the child’s growth and potential.

In some cases, children become movement seekers, while others become movement avoiders. Additional signs of vestibular delays may display in the following areas:

Movement and Coordination

• Frequent tripping or falling
• Clumsiness
• Poor balance
• Difficulty riding a bike
• Delayed gross motor milestones
• Awkward running
• Difficulty learning new physical skills
• Poor coordination

Visual Signs

• Loses place while reading
• Difficulty tracking words
• Slow copying from the board
• Complains reading is tiring
• Moves entire head instead of just the eyes
• Difficulty catching balls

Sensory Behaviors

• Loves spinning excessively
• Constantly jumping
• Crashing into furniture
• Always moving
• Seeks swinging
• Rocks in chair
• Avoids playground equipment
• Fear of heights
• Motion sickness

Posture

• Slouches constantly
• Leans on furniture
• Wraps legs around chair
• Tires easily
• Difficulty sitting upright

Learning

• Difficulty paying attention
• Fidgets
• Poor handwriting endurance
• Difficulty following multi-step directions
• Slow work completion
• Easily distracted
• Appears disorganized
• Poor executive function

How Vestibular Delays Can Affect Learning

Many academic skills rely on efficient vestibular processing long before children begin reading or writing.

If the brain is constantly working to keep the body balanced and upright, fewer mental resources are available for higher-level thinking. When this happens, you may not see the connection to the vestibluar system in the beginning, but you will see difficulty in the following higher-learning areas:

Reading

Poor visual tracking can make reading exhausting. Children may lose their place, skip lines, re-read sentences, or avoid reading altogether.

Writing

Weak postural control and poor body awareness make handwriting difficult. Children often tire quickly, press too hard or too lightly, and can struggle with letter formation.

Attention

A child whose vestibular system is under-responsive may constantly seek movement to stay alert. A child who is over-responsive may avoid movement and become anxious in busy environments. Both patterns can interfere with classroom learning.

Executive Function

Vestibular processing supports organization, planning, sequencing, and motor execution. Children with vestibular delays may appear forgetful, disorganized, or slow to complete assignments because their brains are working harder to process basic sensory information.

What Parents Often Notice at Home

When a child seeks Occupational Therapy, many parents notice gaps at home or at school, but don’t know what they are or how to help their child. 

Parents frequently describe their child as doing the following:

• “Always moving.”
• “Always falling.”
• “Afraid of the playground.”
• “Gets carsick easily.”
• “Can’t sit through dinner.”
• “Leans on everything.”
• “Has terrible posture.”
• “Avoids sports.”
• “Looks clumsy.”
• “Hates riding escalators.”
• “Loves spinning and never gets dizzy.”
• “Has trouble learning to ride a bike.”

These observations often provide valuable clues about how a child’s vestibular system is functioning.

When Should Parents Seek More Help?

Occasional clumsiness or movement preferences are a normal part of childhood. However, if vestibular-related challenges consistently interfere with daily activities, school performance, participation in play, or confidence, it may be helpful to discuss your concerns with your child’s pediatrician or a pediatric occupational therapist.

A combination of movement therapy, reflex integration and music therapy can be the first steps to building those foundational skills to help kids build vestibular input and connections in the brain that free the brain for learning, rather than moving.

When vestibular development is delayed or inefficient, children may appear inattentive, clumsy, overly active, fearful of movement, or frustrated by tasks that seem easy for their peers. Recognizing these signs early can help families access appropriate support and give children the opportunity to build stronger motor, sensory, and learning skills.

A well-functioning vestibular system doesn’t just help children move confidently, it helps them learn, explore, and participate fully in the world around them.

Vestibular Delays Chart

To learn more about where you may find vestibular delays, here is a helpful chart you can download to provide to your child’s teacher or to parents seeking a pediatric therapist. When you download the form, don’t forget to confirm your free subscription to our monthly newsletter to get the download. For additional questions, email info@ilslearning.com.

Reference Materials

Rine, R. M., Cornwall, G., Gan, K., LoCascio, C., O’Hare, T., Robinson, E., & Rice, M. (2000). Evidence of progressive delay of motor development in children with sensorineural hearing loss and concurrent vestibular dysfunction. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 90(3_suppl), 1101–1112. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.2000.90.3c.1101

Loos, E., Gerdsen, M., Hazen, M., Cushing, S. L., Gordon, K. A., Perez-Fornos, A., Verhaert, N., Desloovere, C., Van de Berg, R., & Widdershoven, J. (2025). Bilateral vestibular hypofunction in children. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 196, Article 112506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2025.112506

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