Free
Research Article  |   March 2005
Typical Children’s Responsivity Patterns of the Tactile and Vestibular Systems
Tami Bar-Shalita; Sarina Goldstand; Jeri Hahn-Markowitz; Shula Parush
Author Affiliations
  • Tami Bar-Shalita, MSc, OTR, is Assistant Lecturer and Clinical Instructor, Department of Occupational Therapy, Hebrew University and Haifa University. At the time of this study, she was a student in the master’s program in the School of Occupational Therapy, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
  • Sarina Goldstand, MSc, OTR, is Pediatric Clinician and Graduate Student, School of Occupational Therapy, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
  • Jeri Hahn-Markowitz, MSc, OTR, is Lecturer, Beit Berl, Teachers’ College, Kfar Saba, Israel
  • Shula Parush, PhD, OTR, is Director of Graduate Studies, School of Occupational Therapy, Hebrew University, P.O. Box 24026, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem 91240, Israel; msshulap@pluto.huji.ac.il
Article Information
Development in Young Children
Research Article   |   March 2005
Typical Children’s Responsivity Patterns of the Tactile and Vestibular Systems
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, March/April 2005, Vol. 59, 148-156. doi:10.5014/ajot.59.2.148
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, March/April 2005, Vol. 59, 148-156. doi:10.5014/ajot.59.2.148
Abstract

OBJECTIVES. The purposes of this study were to investigate the responsivity patterns of typical 3- and 4year-old Israeli children to tactile or vestibular stimulation, or both, and to examine whether differences in these patterns exist between them with respect to age and gender.

METHOD. The study sample consisted of one hundred seventeen 3-year-old and one hundred forty-three 4year-old healthy Israeli children (N = 260). Mothers of these children completed a comprehensive tactile and vestibular responsivity questionnaire.

RESULTS. The subjects’ tactile and vestibular responsivity scores were neither hyperresponsive nor hypo-responsive. In addition, neither age nor gender was found to significantly differentiate between respective participant groups for hypo- or hyperresponsive behaviors.

CONCLUSION. Typical Israeli children can be characterized by moderate responsivities to tactile and vestibular stimulation. Responsivity to tactile and vestibular input was similar for 3- and 4-year-olds, across genders.