Am I standing up or sitting down? Which way is down? Am I standing on my feet or on my head? These are questions the vestibular sense answers constantly, without bothering your conscious mind about it. Located in the inner ear, this system detects such important facts as balance, gravity, body position, and distance. When it's working, your child moves confidently around home and school and playground. When the vestibular sense is unreliable, however, every step, sway, and slip can leave your child convinced that he's falling off the face of the earth.