Signs of proprioceptive difficulties:

If they are under responsive to proprioceptive input (i.e. sensory seeking) a child or young person might:

•  walk to hard, push too hard, bang too hard write too hard, play with objects too hard, etc.
•  be loud, move and run, jump and bounce a lot
•  shake their legs or constantly bang the back of their foot on the floor/chair while sitting in class
•  play too rough (potentially hurting themselves or others), jump off of, or crash in to objects
• ·crack their knuckles, chew their fingers, bite their nails until they bleed, chew on pens, gum, pencils, clothing collars, sleeves, or strings, or inedible objects (i.e. paper clips, pieces of toys etc.)
•  enjoy tight clothes (i.e. turtlenecks, tight belts, hoods, hats, jackets zipped all the way up, tight pjamas etc.)

If they have poor motor planning, body awareness, or motor control, they might:

• have difficulty climbing, running, riding a bike, doing jumping jacks, hitting a ball, roller skating, etc.
• have difficulty tying shoes or knowing how to move their body when getting dressed/undressed 
• frequently bump into objects and people accidentally
• trip and fall often
• have difficulty learning to go up and down stairs, and may be frightened by them (or escalators)

Signs of postural instability might include:

• ·slumping at their desk or dinner table
•  appear to be "limp" and lethargic all the time
•  needing to rest their head on their hands or lay their head down on their arm on the desk/table while working
•  having poor posture during motor tasks
•  being unable to stand on one foot and have difficulty with any balancing tasks

If your child is showing proprioceptive or sensory difficulties, speak to your GP or class SENCO. Your child may benefit from seeing an occupational therapist, you can find more information about the local services available in Milton Keynes here.