Interoception – Understanding What’s Inside

Young girl standing in front of a tree drinking from a water bottle

Imagine being at the park. You are sitting at a picnic table, reading. You notice you are starting to get too hot, so you move into the shade. This triggers you to realize you are thirsty so you drink some cold water you brought with you. An hour later, you sense you have to use the bathroom.

You get up and find a bathroom to use. After, you realize you are feeling tired, and it is getting late in the day and you need to prepare dinner. You go home to eat dinner and then head to bed.

ALL of this was because your body was able to sense what it needed. The internal cues of your body were recognized, processed, and found a solution- that’s interoception!

The interoceptive system guides our body in maintaining balance, also known as homeostasis.

It’s also compared to the mind-body connection. It’s understanding what your body needs, and how best to respond to meet it. This processing includes:

  • Hunger
  • Digestion
  • Thirst
  • Sleep
  • Body temperature
  • Bowel movements

Many children with difficulties processing sensory input are unable to understand what their bodies need.

These children can have difficulty with many aspects of their everyday life including potty training, regulating their emotions, sleep, and hunger. This can cause them to be dysregulated and have difficulty engaging.

Samantha Stiles, MS, OTR/L 

CEO, Occupational Therapist

As a pediatric therapist I know what it takes to really address feeding, sensory, and emotional challenges in children. I’m talking the kind of exponential growth that changes the course of lives. But this type of transformation requires time, parent involvement, and extra guidance.

When parents arrive inside the world of Empower Kids Therapy, they find a fresh spark of hope, a different way of thinking, and a sense of being understood.

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Ms.Sam - Pediatric Occupational Therapist

In-home occupational therapy services focused on sensory processing, feeding & infant development
📍 Orlando, FL
🎃 🕯️ 🕸️ 👻 🦇

Halloween doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing, it can be practiced, adapted, and softened. 🍂

If your sensory child feels anxious about trick-or-treating, start at home.

Let them rehearse the steps, explore textures, and feel safe in their costume first.

That practice becomes progress, and that progress becomes confidence.

In-home OT builds those same skills every week: regulation, routine, and readiness for new experiences.

Because sometimes, the real magic of Halloween starts in your living room. 🎃💛

🏠 Learn more about our in-home sessions at the link in bio.

#trickortreating #halloweenwithkids #halloweensensory #halloweenautism #spookyseason #halloweenkidstips
The stress-free way to choose a costume for your sensory child: 

Involve your child in the decision-making process so 1.) they can have ownership in a strange set of new clothes and 2.) they feel proud and excited to wear the costume!

Lean towards familiar fabrics instead of itchy and bothersome textures to ensure long-lasting comfort. Maybe make your own costume out of clothing already in the closet! For Disney lovers, think “Disneybounding,” or wearing everyday clothing pieces to resemble a character. 

Be wary of face paint. Adding makeup to your child’s face, or wearing masks can alter their line of sight making it easier to trip and fall. Plus, if the paint doesn’t go over well, it’s more difficult to remove while on the haunt!

Want to see more disneybound-like costumes? Leave you requests below!!