Interoceptive differences
Interoceptive differences, affecting how learners are able to recognise what is happening inside our bodies (such as feeling hunger, thirst, pain, or emotions like anxiety) Information and adjustments
Offer training to help staff understand and support the development of interoception in learners.
Encourage key adults to verbalise internal states (e.g. “I wonder if I’m feeling tired because I’m warm”) to help learners recognise and name their own sensations.
Help the learner to link their physical feelings to emotions by wandering statements, for example “I wonder if you are tired today? You are yawning.”
Include short, daily mindfulness practices to help learners tune into physical and emotional states.
Use activities that connect body signals (e.g. racing heart) to emotional labels (e.g. anxiety) to build emotional literacy.
Help learners visually identify where they feel sensations in their body to improve self-awareness.
Use visual scales (e.g. 5-point scale) to help learners rate and communicate their internal states, supporting regulation and expression.