Sensory Integration Education

In this month’s SI Resources blog, we’ve put together articles, guides, books and products to help us better understand the internal sensory system, interoception; the important role it plays in our overall health and wellbeing; and how we can better support individuals who have poor interoceptive awareness.

Interoception - Our Internal Dashboard Explained for Schools 

This useful article from Sensory Inclusive Schools looks at interoception difficulties in school. 

Likening interoception to an internal dashboard that tells us if we feel too hot, hungry or thirsty, are in pain, or feel anxious, angry or excited, the article highlights challenges students with interoception difficulties may face in the school environment and how by helping them to be more attuned to their internal dashboard will enable them to better self-regulate and be more ready to learn and focus.

Making Sense of Interoception

This thought-provoking article from Harvard Medicine takes an in-depth look at making sense of interoception, how we perceive what’s happening inside our bodies and what this means for our health. 

The article highlights how recent findings indicate that interoception is not a one-way street and suggests instead that recognizing there is a feedback loop between the body and the brain could open up new possibilities for understanding disease.

Interoception and Sensory Processing Challenges

This article from Understood explores the connection between the interoceptive system and sensory processing. 

Children with sensory processing challenges can struggle with the interoceptive sense and may have trouble knowing when they feel hungry, full, hot, cold or thirsty. This can sometimes result in meltdowns or a child not being able to regulate certain responses. 

The article also offers up some suggestions such as mindfulness activities, heavy work, and a sensory diet that may help.

The Brain-Body Connection and the Vagus Nerve

This article published this month from Psychology Today looks at how new research has revealed ways that vagal nerve stimulation may help with depression. 

The vagus nerve is an important part of interoception that can have a profound effect on how we are feeling, even influencing emotions such as anxiety and depression. 

A recent study looked at how the function of the vagus nerve is changed by stressful experiences and how stimulation of the vagus nerve shows promise for alleviating depression.

These 3 Hidden Senses May Affect You Differently If You’re Neurodivergent 

This article from Verywell Health takes a look at how some neurodivergent people are hyposensitive or hypersensitive to their hidden senses (interoception, vestibular sense and proprioception), which can make some everyday tasks difficult to navigate. 

For example, someone who is hyposensitive to interoceptive signals may struggle to recognize when they’re thirsty or hungry. Whereas someone with a hyposensitive vestibular system may engage in specific movements—like rocking or swinging—to stimulate the system. 

Those whose vestibular system is hypersensitive may feel off-balance or in danger of falling.

Books and Product Ideas

Interoception and Regulation: Teaching Skills of Body Awareness and Supporting Connection with Others

Written by Emma Goodall and Charlotte Brownlow, this practical and informative book* demystifies interoception and provides tools to help boost interoceptive abilities. It summarises the latest research, explores how interoceptive difficulties can be identified, suggests strategies to manage feelings and emotions, and explains how to support individuals in 'tuning in' to themselves.

Maya's Lungs (Early Childhood Interoceptive Awareness Series)

Before kids can understand their emotions or modify their arousal level to match a situation, they must first be attuned to their own body signals. Recognising changes in our breathing rate and lungs can give us insight into our regulation and emotions. In this interactive children's book*, the main character Maya learns to recognize and understand how her lungs and breathing rate change depending on what she is doing or feeling.

This book is geared toward young children and is also a great resource for teachers, occupational therapists, mental health therapists, and anyone interested in helping young children learn to be more self-aware and ultimately self-regulated.

Lived Experiences, Challenges, and Learnings about Dyspraxia: Toward Greater Inclusion (Disability Studies)

Documenting her journey from childhood and diagnosis to adulthood, in this book*, author Kimberley Marie Fraser explores the challenge she has faced living with Dyspraxia. An invisible disability with challenges that evolve as life progresses, Kimberley highlights areas where her life has been affected, including education, employment and well-being, and argues that it is not the disability itself, but a lack of awareness that leads to frequent misunderstandings and inadequate support for many.

Offering learnings from the author's lived experience, this book is ideal for anyone who lives and works with or alongside people with Dyspraxia, including teachers, employers, and social care and support workers.

Sensory Therapeutic Tunnel

This sensory tunnel is the perfect device for children requiring proprioceptive stimulation. Squeezing through this tunnel filled with a special Styrofoam semolina provides a lot of tactile stimulation and is also a lot of fun for the child exercising, despite the challenge involved.

This soft tunnel encourages movement and socialisation for children with sensory processing differences and gross motor challenges and children can lie, sit or roll around on it.

Southpaw Body Sox

The Southpaw Body Sox is a versatile tool that reinforces spatial awareness and interaction, helping clients explore the three-dimensional space they occupy and promoting body awareness and creative movement in clients of all ages.

Designed to fit like a pillowcase, it provides a unique and fun way to encourage movement exploration and sensory integration, helping clients to feel more comfortable in their own skin and discover how to transform space while developing balance and coordination skills.

Made with a see-through material, clients can see the shapes they create as they move around, allowing for even more exploration and creativity.

Fine Motor Skills Activity Bag

This fine motor skills activity bag has been designed to foster fine motor skills through engaging sensory experiences. Children will love filling and placing objects inside, as well transporting things, encouraging them to play explore and interact. The bag’s various connections offer a playful way to improve dexterity, engaging children in activities that build strength and precision in their hands and fingers. It is also designed to support the development of eye-hand coordination, providing practical activities that prepare children for more complex tasks like writing.

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NB: Sensory Integration Education is not responsible for the content on external websites. Sharing a resource does not imply endorsement by Sensory Integration Education.