Understanding Kinesthetic Learning and Proprioception in Autism

Read on to discover how thematic, mathematical, and language learning involving kinesthetic and tactile stimulation can work wonders for kids on the spectrum.

Writer Emily Reynolds discussed the “learning styles” myth in a recent article published in the British Psychological Society Research Digest. Reynolds stated that the learning style myth continues to be challenged by educators and even neuroscience experts.

She summarized an analysis of 15,000 educators, revealing that between 90% and 95% of educators (approximately) believed it made sense to match instruction with learning style. She concluded that further research is needed to understand the “consequences of learning style-matched teaching”.

That said, here is another attempt to revisit the plausibility of a kinesthetic learning style. How far is this justified by scientific research? Does it change anything about the learning-style myth? It may…

“A learner with a great aptitude would not know how tens grew to hundreds until he narrated a story that made him jump from ones to tens. Then he made a bigger jump from tens to hundreds as the story continued. This was his learning moment—a turning point in his mathematical thinking when he had made sense of place value!”

Scientists explain how bodily intelligence enables us to capture pieces of information when we move. Minute sensors in our skeletal and muscular systems relay information to build a map in the brain and store our precise position in an environment. Everybody’s body-mind connection works in this way, but there is a lot more to it with kinesthetic learners.

While learning theorists maintain that we use all learning styles throughout our lives, individuals may have inclinations and preferences regarding the manner in which they receive, process, and retain information. Researchers continue to explore the science behind bodily intelligence for deep learning and the use of kinesthetic perception to form meaningful connections in the brain.

What does it take to get to this defining moment? That moment when a learner feels like they’ve launched, like a projectile, into the sky of knowledge beyond the window of learning. What scientific underpinnings could explain this ultimate empowerment for the kinesthetic learner?

Proprioception or the sixth sense, its origin and function

Our scientific knowledge of proprioception can be traced to Sherrington’s view of the integrated nervous function. He maintained that we depend on exteroceptive (light, sound, touch, and color), interoceptive (taste), and proprioceptive sense organs. According to Sherrington, proprioceptive senses detect events happening in an organism, mediate reflex action, and maintain an organism’s upright position against gravity.

Later, Sir Charles Bell called proprioception the sixth sense. In Latin, proprioception means “unconscious perception of movement”.

Simply stated, proprioception is the sense that allows you to touch your nose with your eyes closed. Our bodies achieve proprioception through receptors located in muscles, tendons, joints, and skin. These nerve endings respond to stimuli such as pressure, vibration, and touch. Millions of signals from these receptors, when transmitted to the brain, help to build a map of the precise position of the body.

A related sense is kinesthesia, which helps us to maintain balance and motor control. Some experts refer to proprioception as a combination of the kinesthetic, visual, and auditory senses, the dominant one being the kinesthetic sense.

The role of proprioception in learning

Proprioception is stimulated every time we move our muscles or joints. Lifting, pushing, and pulling help the brain organize information. When children find it hard to concentrate, proprioceptive activities help them focus and ground themselves.

When drowsy, proprioceptive activities alert them. In learning, proprioception serves different purposes:

Learning focus

Learning requires a state of calm alertness to focus and understand the concept. The Reticular Activating System (RAS) in our brain, which regulates alertness and the sleep/wake cycle, also helps with focus. Sensory input, however, may sometimes excite the RAS and prove counterproductive. On the other hand, deep touch and proprioceptive input travel along neural pathways that are not closely connected to RAS. This is how proprioceptive input helps children feel grounded and less anxious.

Academic success

Proprioception is closely related to logic, reading, and thinking skills. Balance and spatial awareness are important components of academic success. Developing proprioception improves attention span, the ability to follow instructions, and leads to better grades and social performance.

Brain growth

Proprioception helps the brain change, grow, and develop learning skills. Neuroscientists believe that exercises that develop proprioception (for example, kung fu) make it possible to achieve coordination, cross-lateral motion, self-confidence, spatial awareness, balance, and composure. These are essential aspects leading to improved performance in math, reading, writing, and spelling.

Integration of senses

Proprioception is the sense that tells us about our body’s pressure on the surface supporting it. It shows us the position of our limbs (kinesthetic), our relation to things around us, how to maintain balance, the horizon (visual), and our relation to sound and position (auditory).

For example, good balance is the result of well-developed visual, auditory, and kinesthetic systems.

Attention Span

Underdeveloped proprioception leads to attention problems. Children struggling with proprioception may constantly move or have attention difficulties during learning experiences. This type of behavior suggests that their body is trying to channel mental energy to calm the nervous system instead of learning something new.

Sensorimotor function

Studies have indicated that proprioceptive training can improve sensorimotor and somatosensory function. Scientists found “passive and active movements with and without visual feedback” beneficial. Proprioceptive input also assisted in cortical reorganization, an important aspect of improved sensorimotor function.

Scientific evidence regarding kinesthetic perception in learning

The tactile (touch) and kinesthetic (movement) systems interact with the vestibular system to control spatial organization and balance. In learning disorders, the suboptimal function of the auditory, visual, and vestibular systems leads to task avoidance, lack of attention, self-regulation, and behavioral issues. Vestibular deficits may lead to difficulties in memorization, impaired spatial orientation, and problems with balance.

The kinesthetic system contributes about 60% of the perception in acquiring sports skills. Contact (through the skin, shoe, or glove) is the primary source of information for the tactile/kinesthetic system. Not only do these systems play a part in sports performance, but they are also quite relevant to language learning and math.

Reading and speaking ability, and the kinesthetic/tactile system

The kinesthetic/tactile system influences reading skills by impacting letter formation and the ability to see letters correctly. It also affects how learners understand shape, size, and writing. It is related to classification and sorting skills, which help with language and learning.

In spoken language learning, the proprioceptive training method involves the use of motor, auditory, cognitive, and neurological senses. Such integration serves as a comprehensive process to learn a language.

Connecting with muscles to make new sounds helps with pronunciation in spoken language training. In second language acquisition (SLA), the proprioceptive method targets the neurological, cognitive, speech, and hearing systems.

Kinesthetic perception and mathematical learning

The kinesthetic approach to mathematics learning is highly recommended by many prominent educators:

• Mathematics teachers at Oulu University in Finland indicated that mathematics education delivered using hand gestures, art, and dance proved beneficial to learners. This approach has the potential to increase motivation and memorization skills
• Kinesthetic number sense in preschool helps learners form one-to-one relations between numbers and counting. Lining up dot cards on the floor and asking learners to step on each number while counting is more effective than using counters. This form of kinesthetic number sense helps develop essential “layers” to understand more complex concepts later.
• In a study exploring thematic learning, scientists studied on-task behavior and found that kinesthetic perception and physical activity contributed to learning in math, science, and reading. Mathematics, especially, had a significant correlation with kinesthetic perception
• Bosman and Schulze used the VARK learning styles and the Dunn and Dunn model to understand mathematics achievement and differences in learning styles of high and low achievers in South Africa. Both learning styles and context contributed to mathematics performance. Mathematics learners who were able to apply more than one learning style (multimodal) achieved better performance. Therefore, teachers may have to be trained to apply teaching methods that take learning styles into consideration.

Summing-up

To sum it all up, thematic mathematical and language learning involving kinesthetic and tactile stimulation works wonders, especially for children who are tuned to this perception. Deep learning for kinesthetic learners may require additional training for teachers. This may help plan versatile evidence-based classrooms for holistic learning experiences, integrating the many senses discovered so far.