Interoception
Interoception is the sense that helps people notice internal body signals — hunger, thirst, needing the toilet, pain, temperature, tiredness and emotions.
What difficulties can look like
May not notice hunger or feel hungry all the time; not notice thirst; struggle with toileting cues; not notice pain or overreact to small pain; struggle to describe emotions; not know if they are hot or cold; become overwhelmed before realising they are tired; struggle to know when they need a break; confuse anxiety with illness; have frequent tummy aches or headaches.
Support ideas
- Regular drink reminders
- Toilet routines
- Emotion charts
- Body check-ins
- Visual hunger/fullness scales
- Temperature checks
- Pain scales
- Calm language around body signals
- Teach body clues gently
- Scheduled breaks, snack and sleep routines
Body check-in questions
- Is your body hungry?
- Is your body thirsty?
- Is your body tired?
- Is your body too hot or too cold?
- Does your body need the toilet?
- Does your body need movement?
- Does your body need quiet?
- Where do you feel the feeling in your body?
Do
- Teach body awareness slowly
- Use visuals
- Make check-ins routine
- Avoid shame around toileting or hunger
- Support emotional vocabulary
Don't
- Expect the child to always know what they feel
- Say "you should know"
- Ignore repeated physical complaints
- Assume all tummy aches are avoidance — or that all avoidance is physical illness