26/05/2026
Interoception and the neurodivergent nervous system
Interoception is the way our brain notices signals from inside the body.
These are signals like:
* I am hungry
* I am thirsty
* I need the bathroom
* I am tired
* I am hot or cold
* I am in pain
* My heart is beating fast
* My muscles feel tight
* I feel worried
* I need a break
* I am starting to feel overwhelmed
For many neurodivergent people, these signals can be harder to notice, understand or respond to.
This can include autistic people, ADHDers, AuDHDers, children with dyspraxia, twice-exceptional children, and others with sensitive or differently wired nervous systems.
Sometimes the body signal is too quiet.
Sometimes it is too loud.
Sometimes it comes too late.
Sometimes the person feels something in their body, but does not know what it means.
Sometimes the signal gets lost because the person is masking, hyperfocused, stressed, overloaded, or trying really hard to keep going.
This is why a neurodivergent child may seem “fine” one minute and then suddenly fall apart the next.
It usually has not come out of nowhere.
Their nervous system may have been building stress for a long time before anyone could see it.
For children, interoception challenges can look like:
* forgetting to eat or drink
* not noticing they need the bathroom
* not realising they are tired until they melt down
* becoming upset very quickly
* saying “I don’t know” when asked how they feel
* struggling to name emotions
* becoming irritable before they know they are overwhelmed
* finding transitions really hard
* seeking strong sensory input
* not noticing pain, illness or overheating
* appearing calm on the outside while overloaded on the inside
This is often misunderstood as behaviour.
Adults may describe the child as:
* defiant
* overreacting
* lazy
* attention-seeking
* rude
* emotional
* not coping
* suddenly difficult
But often, the child is not choosing to be difficult.
They may not yet understand what their body is trying to tell them.
Many neurodivergent children and adults also learn to ignore their body signals so they can meet expectations.
They push through because they are trying to:
* keep up at school or work
* avoid getting in trouble
* avoid disappointing others
* look like they are coping
* finish the task
* be “good”
* appear fine
Over time, this can create a gap between what the body is feeling and what the person can consciously recognise.
This can contribute to:
* burnout
* meltdowns
* shutdown
* panic
* emotional dysregulation
* chronic stress
* difficulty knowing when to stop
* overcommitting
* needing longer recovery time
* not knowing what support they need
Emotions often show up in the body before they show up as words.
A child may not say:
“I feel anxious.”
They may say:
“My tummy hurts.”
“I feel sick.”
“My head hurts.”
“I’m tired.”
“I don’t know.”
“Leave me alone.”
“I hate this.”
Or they may become restless, irritable, silly, withdrawn or angry.
The behaviour is often the visible part.
The body signal underneath is the part we need to understand.
This is why teaching regulation is not just about telling children to calm down.
It is about helping them notice what is happening inside their body before they reach overload.
We can support this by gently helping children recognise:
* body signals
* energy levels
* sensory needs
* emotions
* early signs of stress
* what helps them feel safe
* when they need rest, food, movement, quiet or connection
The goal is not for children to get it right every time.
The goal is to slowly help them understand:
“What is my body trying to tell me?”
and
“What do I need before I hit overload?”
When we understand interoception, we stop seeing behaviour as the whole story.
We start looking underneath.
We start asking better questions.
We start supporting the nervous system, not just reacting to the behaviour.
