Headphones Update

So we got the scoop on the headphones. They are special headphones that have a small disk in the band at the top of the head. The disk vibrates to the music and helps to stimulate a kid's developing vestibular system. 

What does the word vestibular mean?  The vestibular system helps our body know where it is in space, coordinates movement, and helps us control our head movements. It's one of our senses found in the inner ear. 

Kids with sensory issues, like Sam, often have an underdeveloped vestibular sense. The headphones with the vibration at the top of the head is helping to develop the vestibular system that coordinates bodily movements.  Other ways kids develop their vestibular system are through spinning, swinging, jumping, sliding, climbing, and anything else that uses big movements when they play. 

Interestingly, if an adult was to put on Sam's headphones for a few minutes, we'd begin to feel sick, much like motion sickness or car sickness. Since our vestibular systems are much more developed, the input from the disk in the headphones would mess with our already developed system and make us sick.  Now we know the science behind the headphones!

In this picture Sam is playing a light game. You can see two of the three light towers in the picture. Lights alternate flashing and making sounds. Sam has to hear and see which light is on and hit it. He's wearing Hulk hands in this picture to hit the lights. You can also see his headphones and backpack in use here!