WHAT IS INTEROCEPTION?
Interoception is one of out 8 senses and is responsible for our internal world and detecting what's going on inside our bodies. It helps you to know when you are hungry, thirsty, scared, sick... you get the drill.
WHY IS INTEROCEPTION IMPORTANT?
Interoceptive awareness is so important for helping us develop our independence with daily living activities. Here's a few reasons why it is important:
It helps up understand when we need to go to the toilet (due to the pressure felt on our bladder/bowel).
It supports a child development and understanding of emotions through our bodies responses to certain situations.
It helps up become aware of what our sensory needs are at any given time.
It provides us with information as to when we should rest and recover when we are sick.
HOW CAN WE BUILD A CHILD'S INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS?
The earlier a child can develop their interoceptive awareness, the sooner they become independent in all areas and can engage in co-regulation during difficult times.
Here are some ways you can build interoceptive awareness:
1. LABEL YOUR FEELINGS OUT-LOUD
Children are sponges and are usually watching what you do and say, even if you don't know it. By labelling your feelings out loud such as "I feel tired, or "My tummy is rumbling, I'm feeling hungry", will encourage them to do the same and become more aware of their own feelings.
2. PLAY WITH TEMPERATURE BASED ACTIVITIES
Sensory play in the form of exploring different temperatures is just another way you can encourage children to become more aware of their body and different sensations that occur. An example of this could be filling up a sensory bucket with toys and ice water vs another with warm water, encourage them to explain how each sensory bucket feels on their hands/body.
3. ENGAGE IN HEAVY WORK ACTIVITIES
Heavy work activities provide proprioceptive input which is also responsible for promoting awareness of our external body. This goes hand in hand with interoceptive input and can broaden their understandings of how their body feels at any given time.
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