Interoception

What is interoception?

Interoception is one of our body’s senses, and relates to the ability to detect and interpret our internal body cues. Interoception allows us to better understand our own body and how we are feeling (e.g. feeling a growling stomach and connecting this to feeling hungry, or noticing a rapid heartbeat and recognising this as a sign of feeling scared or anxious).

Some people find this kind of body awareness easy, while others find it more challenging to be able to pick up on the signals their body is giving them. This can be because they find it challenging to detect these cues unless they are really strong, or conversely, are very sensitive to their body cues, and seem to pick up on every tiny signal (which can be conflicting and/or overwhelming). Some people also find that they seem to get distorted signals from their body – they notice the cues, but the information isn’t clear enough to tell them specifically what is going on (e.g. being able to tell that they feel sick, but not being able to pinpoint whether it’s a headache, sore throat or stomach ache).

Why is interoception important?

Interoception is one of the foundational skills of being able to self-regulate and meet our body’s needs. This can be in relation to our physiological needs, such as knowing when we need to eat, sleep or go to the toilet. It can also be in relation to our emotions, and being able to manage our feelings when we need to. The goal of building interoception skills is to be able to more effectively self-regulate to a comfortable state.

How can I tell if my child has challenges with interoception?

If a child experiences challenges with interoception, they might:

Experience delays and/or ongoing challenges with toilet training (e.g. not recognising when an accident has occurred, not recognising when they need to go or only recognising at the last second)
Not notice hunger and/or thirst until the last second (e.g. only when they are starving or dehydrated)
Experience challenges expressing their own emotions (e.g. not being able to recognise and/or label their emotions)
Feel like their emotions come out of nowhere, or feel like they’re only able to recognise their emotions when they’re at level 100
Be over- or under-responsive to pain (e.g. have seemingly disproportionate reactions to pain, or appear to not notice pain)
Experience challenges with recognising temperature changes (e.g. they have a tendency to dress in clothes that would typically be considered inappropriate for the weather – such as wearing shorts in winter or jumpers in summer)
Experience challenges with self-regulation (e.g. they find it challenging to recognise how their body is feeling, and identify what helps them return to a comfortable state – including finding it challenging to be able to identify differences in how they feel before and after using a regulation strategy or tool)

What other problems can occur if my child experiences interoception challenges?

When a child experiences challenges with interoception, they might also experience challenges with:

Addressing their self-care needs (e.g. recognising when they are hungry, full, thirsty, sleepy, etc.)
Toilet training (e.g. recognising when they need to use the toilet, or when they have had an accident)
Addressing their daily healthcare needs (e.g. recognising the degree of pain they are in, pinpointing symptoms of illness)
Emotional regulation (e.g. identifying their own emotions, recognising signs that their level of distress is building, identifying strategies that are personally useful for emotional self-regulation)
Social skills (e.g. being able to express their own feelings and needs, advocate for themselves, understanding and labelling their feelings to create mutual understanding)

Can interoception be improved?

Research has shown that interoception skills can be improved, with appropriate support, guidance and strategies.

What activities can help improve interoception?

Model interoception language to your child by labelling your own body cues during daily activities – for example “my hand feels warm when you hold it”, “my eyes feel heavy when I’m lying in bed and getting ready to go to sleep”
Prompt your child to notice how their different body parts feel throughout the day – for example, “how do your hands feel when you’re holding an ice block?”, “how does your face feel when you’re standing in the sun?”
Start helping your child make connections between how their body feels and their emotions – for example, “it looks like your hands and feet are moving fast, and your voice sounds loud and fast. It seems like you might be feeling excited”
Working through structured programs (such as the Interoception Curriculum) with an occupational therapist can provide further targeted support to develop your child’s interoceptive awareness skills

Why should I seek therapy if I notice interception challenges with my child?

Therapeutic intervention to help a child with interoception challenges is important to:

Ensure that the child is able to manage their daily needs (e.g. being able to recognise and address their hunger, thirst, illness, temperature control, and toileting needs)
Help develop emotional regulation skills
Support social participation at home, school, and in the community

If left untreated, what can challenges with interoception lead to?

When children have challenges with their interoception skills, they might also have difficulties with:

Self-regulation, such as finding it challenging to manage their physiological and emotional needs with increasing independence
Behaviour, as a result of finding it challenging to understand and manage their regulation needs, and consequently using less-optimal methods (that negatively impact both themselves and others) in an attempt to achieve this
Achieving expected levels of independence with self-care skills

What type of therapy is recommended for interoception challenges?

If your child has difficulty with interoception, it is recommended they consult an occupational therapist.

If there are multiple areas of concern (i.e. beyond just interoception), both occupational therapy and speech therapy may be recommended to address the functional areas of concern. This is the benefit of choosing Kid Sense, which provides both occupational therapy and speech therapy.