I have gone back and read a lot of the old threads about vestibular issues and how they relate to gymnastics. Now I have some questions that I hope someone here (maybe coaches) can answer.
My daughter is profoundly deaf. When she was 6 she got her 2nd cochlear implant. As part of the pre-operative process, she had vestibular testing. I was shocked to learn that her vestibular system basically does not work. As the vestibular specialist explained it to me, there are three systems that work together to control balance: vision, proprioception (touch) and the vestibular system. Apparently, my daughter compensates very well (with vision and proprioception) for her vestibular disorder. She has never had any balance problems or shown any symptoms of a vestibular disorder.
Last summer my daughter watched the Olympics and decided that she likes gymnastics. She started tumbling around the house and yard. Pretty quickly she taught herself cartwheels, handstands, front walkovers and back walkovers. At the school playground, she taught herself to do a pullover to get onto the bar. This January (at age 7), I enrolled her in a beginner gymnastics class at the YMCA. The first night they moved her up to the most advanced class, but she was still more advanced than the other kids in the class. At the second class, she learned how to do a back hip circle. Around the fourth class, they taught her a back handspring and she got it in 3 tries. About a week later I caught her doing round-off back handsprings in the house. She hasn't been taught how to do it & I made her stop so that she doesn't get hurt. I think having this vestibular issue may actually help her when she is learning tumbling. I don't think she ever "feels" like she is falling or has the sensation of being off balance.
In February, I took my daughter to a local gym for an evaluation. They invited her to join their competitive team after this season is over. (The level will be determined after she works with them for a while.) My question is, will she ever be able to master complex gymnastics skills? Or will she reach a point that she can't learn the more difficult skills because of the vestibular disorder? Thank you.
My daughter is profoundly deaf. When she was 6 she got her 2nd cochlear implant. As part of the pre-operative process, she had vestibular testing. I was shocked to learn that her vestibular system basically does not work. As the vestibular specialist explained it to me, there are three systems that work together to control balance: vision, proprioception (touch) and the vestibular system. Apparently, my daughter compensates very well (with vision and proprioception) for her vestibular disorder. She has never had any balance problems or shown any symptoms of a vestibular disorder.
Last summer my daughter watched the Olympics and decided that she likes gymnastics. She started tumbling around the house and yard. Pretty quickly she taught herself cartwheels, handstands, front walkovers and back walkovers. At the school playground, she taught herself to do a pullover to get onto the bar. This January (at age 7), I enrolled her in a beginner gymnastics class at the YMCA. The first night they moved her up to the most advanced class, but she was still more advanced than the other kids in the class. At the second class, she learned how to do a back hip circle. Around the fourth class, they taught her a back handspring and she got it in 3 tries. About a week later I caught her doing round-off back handsprings in the house. She hasn't been taught how to do it & I made her stop so that she doesn't get hurt. I think having this vestibular issue may actually help her when she is learning tumbling. I don't think she ever "feels" like she is falling or has the sensation of being off balance.
In February, I took my daughter to a local gym for an evaluation. They invited her to join their competitive team after this season is over. (The level will be determined after she works with them for a while.) My question is, will she ever be able to master complex gymnastics skills? Or will she reach a point that she can't learn the more difficult skills because of the vestibular disorder? Thank you.
