23/11/2025
It is easy to underestimate how challenging it can be for a client to adjust to being on a trampoline.
For those of us with an intact vestibular system and a daily diet of movement challenges, stepping onto a trampoline feels fairly manageable. We might drive to work, move through busy environments, and our brains constantly experience balance and movement. Even then, we still need a moment to adjust when we first step onto the bed.
Now compare that with someone who has profound physical needs. They may be an essential wheelchair user, seated in a moulded chair with a lap strap and chest harness, with an impaired vestibular system and increased processing demands. The contrast between their day-to-day environment and a rebound therapy session is enormous.
As therapists, we must rely on clear assessment and sharp observation to judge how well and how quickly the client is adjusting. If we get the starting phase wrong, the entire session can end up spent trying to recover from that early difficulty. Sometimes the session effectively ends before it has begun. We may even walk away thinking the person was a little out of sorts today.
It is also important that we train our own ability to move on the trampoline in a controlled way. Many clinicians unintentionally create vestibular challenge at the very moment that most clients need a calm, predictable and stable start. Learning to control your own balance, movement on the bed, and the way you begin can transform the opening of a session. There is a full range of techniques and exercises that can help practitioners develop this skill.
So be intentional at the start. Begin gently, even with stillness. Allow time for adjustment, knowing it can vary from one day to the next. From that steady foundation, a high quality rebound therapy session can be built.
LD Therapy Courses.
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