How to Know if a Child Has Balance Problems

Balance is a complex system maintained by proprioceptors in the body that tell you where you are in space, along with your ears and eyes. Children and adults alike are affected by compromised balance. The results can be falls, accidents and low self-esteem. It might be clumsiness, trouble in school, lack of interest in activities and even vision problems that alert you to a potential balance problem in a child.

Instructions

• 1

  Watch for clumsiness. Your child may be bumping into things, have trouble walking with feet close together or stumble when the lighting is dim. He could feel dizzy, woozy or have a sense that his environment is spinning, which is called vertigo. Unexplained light-headedness or a sense that there is movement when there is not are indicative of a balance issue.

• 2

  Track school performance. Check with teachers and friends about how your child is doing. Balance issues can manifest in an unwillingness to do classwork or homework. Perhaps your child cannot focus to read. He may be reclusive and avoid making friends. He may get overwhelmed in a crowded and noisy cafeteria. These are signs that underlying balance problem is happening. If your child has ringing or a fullness in the ears, he may not be able to pay attention in school. Poor posture and slumping in a chair may be other signs that your child has body awareness trouble and as a result, poor balance.

• 3

  Watch for anxious behaviors, such as fidgeting, panic attacks or visible stress in social environments. There is a link between anxiety and balance. Every child with a balance problem will have some level of anxiety. All children with anxiety should be first checked for balance problems. A treatment of sensory-motor exercises can improve balance, coordination and anxiety.

• 4

  Observe physical activities. A balance issue can affect depth perception. Your child may not be able to judge when a ball is going to hit her or how close another child is on the field. These inadequacies could lead to shying away from playing, being involved in sports or even hanging out with other children. Watch for non-social behaviors and ask why your child does not want to participate.

• 5

  Get a thorough vision assessment for your child. Uncontrolled eye movements might make things look like they are moving when they are not. If your child cannot focus on a sign or object, a vision and associated balance issue could be going on. Perhaps she has difficulty watching multiple objects, with bright lights or too much visual stimulation.