Interoception

Interoception is the awareness of sensations inside the body. Our bodies prefer to stay comfortable and regulated. The brain helps with this by paying attention to signals that need action, while filtering out those that can be ignored or dealt with later.

The body’s internal signals include: 

• Managing energy levels, such as fatigue or restlessness.  

• Hunger and fullness 

• Thirst (hydration) 

• Bladder and bowel fullness 

• Temperature regulation 

• Pain and discomfort, including nausea 

• Heart rate 

• Breathing  

• Itching 

Building a connection between the brain and body helps with interoceptive awareness. This guide aims to support Autistic students in developing a connection between their brain and body at school.   

This toolkit has been written for parents and carers of Autistic young people in secondary school to support. There are two worksheets and reflection activities to help parents and carers assist their Autistic child with body awareness. 

Consultation was undertaken with occupational therapists and their input was included during the development of these resources. The creation of these resources was proudly funded by the Victorian Department of Education.