Vanessa's Blog - November: Interoception (and xmas!)
Hello all,
Usually at this point in the year I blog around strategies for Christmas. I Thought I would have a bit of a change this year, but blogs from previous years are available here: https://www.freeoutreach.org.uk/News/
...and click here for a Christmas tips help sheet
This month’s blog comes to you from our wonderful Outreach Teacher Emma, who has an particular interest in the world of sensory processing…
Interoception
Sit back, close your eyes, how are you feeling? Are you hot? Is your heart beating fast or slow? Are you hungry or thirsty? Are you tired or full of energy? Do you need the loo?
How do you know what you are feeling? Most people are able to sense what is going on inside their bodies through the interpretation of senses by the interoceptive system.
What is Interoception?
Interoception helps you understand and feel what’s going on inside your body. For instance, you know if your heart is beating fast or if you need to breathe more deeply. You’re able to tell if you need to use the toilet. You know if you’re hungry, full, hot, cold, thirsty, nauseated, itchy or ticklish.
For people with sensory processing issues, the brain may have trouble making sense of that information. They may not be able to tell when they’re feeling pain or when their bladder is full. An itch may feel like pain or pain may feel ticklish.
People who struggle with the interoceptive sense can also have trouble “feeling” their emotions. They may not be as tuned in to the body cues that help interpret emotion. Without being able to feel and interpret those body sensations, it’s harder to clearly identify the emotion.
For instance, a child may not “feel” fear because he doesn’t recognize that his muscles are tense, his breathing is shallow and his heart is racing.
Interoception and self-regulation
Children who are sensory seekers may crave interoceptive input. They may move quickly because breathing fast feels right to them. They may not eat or drink as much as other children because being hungry and thirsty feels comfortable to them.
But children with sensory processing issues can react in other ways, too. Some children may:
Find interoceptive input irritating
Children who are hypersensitive to sensory input may overreact to interoceptive sensations. For instance, they may eat more than other children to avoid feeling hunger pangs. They may also use the bathroom more often than necessary because they don’t like the way a full bladder feels.
Respond inappropriately to interoceptive input
Children who are under-responsive to sensory input may not feel or respond to sensations when they should. They may take longer than other children to learn to use the toilet or have more frequent accidents. They may not eat as often as others because they may not feel hunger or thirst.
In addition to self-regulation, interoception is clearly linked to many other important skill areas including:
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· Self Awareness |
· Flexibility of Thought |
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· Problem Solving |
· Social Understanding |
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· Intuition |
· Perspective Taking |
Interoception and Autism
As with other sensory systems, the interoceptive system can be impacted in individuals with autism. Some studies have found the people with autism have significantly lower awareness of their interoceptive signals. This is reflected in many personal experiences reported by individuals with autism.
For example, Chloe, a 22-year old with autism says:
‘I did not realize I had trouble feeling my internal body signals, as I had never heard of interoception before November 2014, but when I did, everything started to make sense. That is, difficulties with interoception help to clarify why I have such a hard time pinpointing my symptoms when I am not feeling well, why sometimes I seem to eat snack after snack without feeling full and why I get upset/anxious/overwhelmed so quickly, because I don’t feel it until I’m already far into the storm of the discomfort and frustration.’
Strategies
Differences in interpreting interoceptive information is not as well researched as other sensory processing issues. Experts are still learning what techniques can help children who struggle with it. Some experts think that mindfulness activities like meditation can help kids be more aware of interoceptive sensations in their bodies. There is more information about teaching calming and relaxation techniques on our website at https://www.freeoutreach.org.uk/Resources/Social-and-Emotional/.
Heavy work and a sensory diet may be helpful as well, please refer to our heavy work help sheet and sensory diet information sheet at https://www.freeoutreach.org.uk/Resources/Sensory/.
An informative video clip explaining interoception can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0zbCiakjaA