17/04/2026
For Parents and Teachers
The link between the eyes and ears
Written by Dr Shirley K***t
When working with children who show some visual problems, for example, not being able to follow a moving object easily or whose eyes don’t converge or diverge appropriately, Integrated Learning Therapy (ILT) practitioners usually begin a helping programme by first testing for irregularities of the vestibular system (situated in the inner ear) and then working to improve vestibular functioning before turning their attention to the visual system. Why is this?
It’s simple. Children develop like a house being built. Builders start by ensuring a firm foundation and only after that do they begin putting walls, windows, doors and finally the roof in place. This analogy explains human development too. We need a foundation that gives us well functioning, early developing systems. These include sensory systems such as tactility, a sense of smell, taste and the all-important sense of balance and movement, conveyed to the brain by the inner-ear, or vestibular system. All later developing systems depend on these systems for support – something like the strong man in the circus, who holds up other acrobats. If he falters, they will all fall down.
In this example, the vestibular system takes the role of the strong man. Accordingly, development and functioning of (amongst others) the visual and auditory systems will rely on the optimal functioning of the vestibular system.
We are well aware that the vestibular and visual systems are intricately linked. While the inner-ear is extremely important for the development of balance and coordination, it also determines eye movements and our ability to live in a stable visual world. One way the visual and vestibular systems work together is via the vestibular-ocular reflex (VOR). When movement of the head is sensed by the vestibular sensors in the inner ear, the information is processed by the central nervous system. Signals are sent to the eye muscles which cause our eyes to move in the opposite direction. The result is a stable image on the retina.
Stimulation of the vestibular system can enhance eye movements and bilateral integration. While ILT seldom recommends fast movements, we can see the effect of movement on the eyes when observing a child with strabismus (a ‘squint’) or other binocular vision disorders. Many of us have had this experience - a child with a strabismus starts jumping on a trampoline and when he or she looks up, the eyes are straight. Sounds amazing but actually is explained by the connection between the visual and vestibular systems.
So working on an underdeveloped or irregularly functioning vestibular system can ultimately help a child’s visual problems – so often implicated in school-related tasks.
The key lies in gaining a thorough understanding of the child’s systems. Once we understand which are failing to support the child’s learning, it becomes possible to ensure firstly that the foundations are in place. Once this has been achieved, higher level systems can be encouraged to improve in functioning.
In this way, ILT looks for the underlying causes of learning difficulties. You can read more about our approach on the website www.ilt.co.za.
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