Sensory input is a natural calming drug for the brain, we all need it to stay calm, focused, and feel "put together," children with Sensory Integration Disorder need more of it & more often...
Vestibular input is the strongest of the brain stem sensations and lasts the longest in the brain chemical release. Swinging on a swing is the ideal source of Vestibular input, and if done for 15 minutes on a swing can last up to 8 hours in the central nervous system, whereas the other types of input only last 2 hours or so, so they must be done more often. It is recommend that a pupil swings for at least two 15 minute sessions a day one first thing in the a.m. and again in the afternoon. This will help give the calming and organized vestibular input that is needed to help keep an individual responding to sensory input appropriately.
At Fairfield School we have a swing that is hung from a single point giving effective and stronger, longer lasting vestibular input. Pupils access the swing as timetabled provision to support their sensory integration and also at other times during the day to support sensory regulation as required.