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Understanding Interoception: Supporting Students with Autism
Rute Mendes and Pamela Zary
What is Interoception?
Definition
Interoception is the sensory system that helps us notice and understand internal body signals, such as hunger, thirst, pain, and emotions. This system plays a vital role in self-regulation and emotional understanding, allowing individuals to respond appropriately to their body's needs.
Key Interoceptive Signals
  • Heart: Detecting changes in heartbeat to recognize emotions like anxiety or excitement.
  • Stomach: Sensing hunger, fullness, or nausea.
  • Bladder: Noticing the need to urinate.
  • Muscles: Recognizing tension or fatigue.
Why is Interoception Important for Autistic Students?

Self-Regulation and Emotional Understanding
Interoception helps with self-regulation, recognizing bodily needs, and emotional understanding.

Varied Interoceptive Awareness
Autistic students may experience heightened or diminished interoceptive awareness, leading to challenges like toileting issues, anxiety, or sensory overload.

Real-Life Example
For example, a student who struggles to notice the need to use the restroom might have frequent accidents, while another may be overwhelmed by the sensation of needing to go.
Common Interoceptive Challenges
1
Over-responsive
Overwhelmed by body signals
2
Under-responsive
Delayed or muted awareness of needs
3
DiStOrTeD signals
Misinterpreting or not understanding what signals mean to them
Interoceptive challenges can vary widely, but they often fall into these three categories. For example, over-responsive individuals might make frequent trips to the restroom, under-responsive individuals might not notice hunger or fullness until extreme, and those with distorted signals might confuse hunger with nausea.
Building Interoceptive Awareness
1
Notice
Recognize body signals, such as a racing heart or stomach growl.
2
Connect
Understand what those signals mean for the individual, such as feeling anxious or hungry.
3
Regulate
Respond appropriately, such as using a calming strategy or eating that creates internal comfort.
Strategies include using visual charts, mindfulness activities, and consistent routines to help students become more attuned to their body's signals.
Interoception Strategies in Schools
Adaptations for Reduced Awareness
  • Visual charts
  • Scheduled activities
Activities to Enhance Awareness
  • Body checks
  • Focus area experiments
  • Sensory play
The Interoception Curriculum

1

Body
Learning to notice and describe body signals.

2

Emotion
Connecting one's own unique body signals to emotions.

3

Action
Finding appropriate responses to regulate emotions and body states.
This curriculum offers a structured framework for developing mindful self-regulation. It is divided into these three main sections, progressing from basic awareness to complex regulation skills.
Conclusion and Next Steps

1

Recap
Interoception's role in regulation and emotional understanding for autistic students.

2

Call to Action
Incorporate interoceptive strategies into daily interactions.

3

Example
Use language that helps students to identify their feelings and emotions