Hyporesponsiveness to Vestibular Input and Academic Performance

Abstract This study examined the response to sensory integration therapy (SIT) in a group of children with learning disabilities. Ninety-two children were divided into two groups of 46. The control group received special education alone. The experimental group received both SIT and special education. Children in both groups were tested with the Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test (SCPNT) and language and academic tests. In the experimental group, children who tested below –1.0 standard deviation in the SCPNT (hyporesponsive to vestibular input) were better responders to SIT than children who were not hyporesponders. In the control group, fewer children with hyporesponsiveness to vestibular input benefited from special education compared to those without hyporesponsiveness. Hyporesponsiveness to vestibular input was also linked to language concerns. Children who were hyperresponsive to vestibular input exhibited more generalized sensory-motor problems than children who were hyporesponsive.