Why Depth Perception & Proprioception Matter

Do you find yourself constantly warning your kids to watch their step, or reminding them they bumped into someone?
Does your child seem to struggle to:
● Hit a ball with a bat?
● Throw and catch a ball?
● Get into a tunnel or water slide?
● Grab items on a table?
● Judge how far away items really are?

If your child has any of these challenges it might be due to problems with depth perception and their proprioceptive system.

What is Depth Perception?
Depth perception is an unconscious process of our brain and the key to our movement. It tells us where objects are and where we are in relation to them. Depth perception requires several different inputs, including motor planning, proprioception, visual tracking and spatial perception.

If one or more of these areas fail to provide accurate information, your child will struggle to safely navigate the world around them. If there is a problem with motor planning, they may not be able to work out how to move their body in the right direction to catch a ball. If their proprioceptors are not firing correctly, they’ll find it hard to judge how far their body is from an object, making it hard to hit a ball.
If the problem lies with visual tracking, your child may have trouble seeing how fast or how far something is moving, or they may have issues with spatial perception, where they struggle to see where things are supposed to be, which can lead to bumping into objects or falling over them.

What is Proprioception?
Proprioception helps us know where our body is in relation to our environment. The receptors for depth perception are called proprioceptors. These cover our whole body and are found in our muscles, ligaments and fibres. They absorb the stimuli of our movement, and give us feedback about the strength and pressure in our body and the position of our joints.

Every day we use proprioception to move, change our position and interact with the world around us. This is an unconscious action that happens thousands of times a day without us even realising it. For example, we constantly correct our head position or sitting position automatically, without visual control.

Proprioception is a key part of depth perception, helping our brain to know how to move our limbs, and what position our body is in when we walk, sit or lay down. It also helps us estimate the size of objects, how far away they are, and how much strength we need to use them. This guides us on how much pressure to apply, and helps us adjust our movements accordingly.

Depth Perception & Proprioception in Action
Imagine you see an object in front of you. You look at it and estimate how much effort you need to lift it. However, when you lift it you find it’s lighter than you first thought, and you nearly drop it in surprise. In this case, your depth perception gave your brain the wrong information - you felt confused and shocked because you usually know how much strength you need to lift that object through your proprioceptors.

That’s why depth perception and proprioception matter. They play an essential role in our daily lives, helping to safely engage with the world around us. That’s why it’s important that we work with our kids to help build these skills, especially if they have a diagnosis, such as autism or sensory processing disorder, that can impact their depth perception skills.

Signs of Poor Perception Skills
There are several signs that could indicate poor depth perception and proprioception in your child:
● Often runs unintentionally into doors, walls or other objects
● Seems clumsy or falls often
● Struggles to catch items
● Difficulties in carrying objects
● Has problems with balance
● Cuddles roughly and hurts other children unintentionally
● Walking, sitting or lying seems sloped or uncoordinated

Activities to Build Depth Perception and Proprioception
The good news is, there are lots of ways you can help build your child’s depth perception and proprioception skills, through daily activities and play at home.

Daily Play Activities
● Putting clothes on and off
● Cooking and baking
● Watering flowers
● Running and jumping
● Doing sports
● Crawling under chairs
● Completing puzzles
● Playing with putty
● Building with Lego or other materials
● Playing with a ball
● Tackling an obstacle course
● Imitating animal movements
● Climbing ropes or ladders
● Playing board games like Operation

If your child struggles with depth perception and proprioception, it’s important to start slowly when working on their skills. If your child doesn’t want to participate or is resistant to play, respect their wishes. They are possibly overwhelmed, and need to have a break or remove themselves from the situation before feeling ready to begin. Don’t give up on trying to build these skills, as poor depth perception and proprioceptive skills can make it hard to live a full and independent life. A practical mantra to follow is, "do as little as possible, as much as necessary!" Try to let your children do it by themselves, as much as practical, as practice will help them more safely navigate the world around them.

JettProof sensory clothing also helps build your child’s proprioception and depth perception skills. The inbuilt sensory compression provides proprioceptive feedback to the wearer, enhancing their ability to plan and coordinate movement. JettProof sensory clothing also gives a sense of calm, delivering all-day support to combat stress, anxiety and sensory overload.

JettProof calming sensory clothing assists children and adults living with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Apraxia, Dyspraxia, ADHD and Anxiety. Stay up to date with the JettProof journey by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our mailing list to receive regular updates.