The Hidden Senses

We all know about our five senses – smell, touch, sight, taste and hearing – but very few people know that we actually have another two senses that make a big difference to our development

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When one of our senses is underdeveloped or missing, it creates a whole new experience of the world – think for example of a blind or hearing-impaired person – as well as creates challenges in our understanding of the world and how we relate to it. Our senses tell us everything we need to know in order to thrive and grow – they are essentially our doors to the outside world. Yet, there are two ‘lessor known’ senses that are just as important.

We spoke to Liz Senior, occupational therapist and founder of the Clamber Club, about our proprioceptive and vestibular senses. “These two additional senses are extremely important to our overall well-being and it is very important that your young child has these additional senses stimulated,” Liz explains.

BACK TO BASICS

The two lesser known senses or ‘hidden senses’ can be briefly explained as follows:

The proprioceptive sense comes from our muscles and joints and essentially tells us where our bodies are in space and what they’re doing. For example, that you’re lying flat on the couch and not moving, or that you’re standing upright and running.

The vestibular sense on the other hand comes from our inner ear and tells us more about our movement. For example, when we swing, slide, jump or roll.