Interoception

I recently took a continuing education course on interoception and early learners. Interoception is often called a “hidden sense” – meaning the input comes from inside of the body. So what is this hidden sense?

Interoception is information the brain gets from receptors throughout the body that tells the brain how the body feels! Some of these feelings include:

• Hungry
• Thirst
• Sleepiness
• Need for the bathroom
• How certain emotions feel (excitement, anger, sadness, calm, embarrassment etc.)

This education course really emphasized that the best way to support an early learner on this journey towards understanding their interoceptive cues is to start with self-modeling. This is a simple way to start! Modeling and labeling our own interoceptive experiences will help our kids do the same.

Some examples of this include:

Saying out loud “Oh my, my stomach is rumbling. I think it is time for lunch”

Saying out loud “My tongue is sticking to the roof of my mouth. I am going to get a drink of water”

Saying out loud “The lycra swing makes my body feel heavy, I am going to stay in for longer”

While there is a lot more work to be done to support kiddos in their interoception, this is a great step towards them discovering their inner sensations. If your child is struggling with understanding their interoceptive cues, an occupational therapist can help! To learn even more about interoception, check out Kelly Mahler’s website at https://www.kelly-mahler.com/