What Is Interoception? The Hidden Sense That Supports Sensory & Emotional Awareness

I’ll never forget the day my son had a huge meltdown in the car on the way home from school. He was irritable, frustrated, and near tears—but when I asked what was wrong, he said, “I don’t know!”

After some deep breaths and a snack I happened to have in my bag, he seemed more regulated. Then, in a much different tone, he said, “I think I was just hungry.”

That moment was a lightbulb for me. He wasn’t trying to be difficult—he just didn’t recognize the signals and sensations his body was giving him that he was hungry which turned into discomfort and dysregulation.

I later learned that this skill—noticing and understanding body signals—is due to something called interoception. And for many kids, including autistics, ADHDers and those sensory processing differences, these signals can be hard to detect, interpret, or act on in a timely way.

Dr. Kelly Mahler, a leading expert in interoception, explains:

“Interoception is the sense that allows us to notice and make sense of body signals like hunger, thirst, needing to use the bathroom, or feeling anxious.”

If we don’t notice and/or understand these signals, we can’t meet our body’s needs —leading to meltdowns, shutdowns, sensory overwhelm, or even incontinence because the need wasn’t recognized in time.

Learn more from Dr. Kelly Mahler: What is Interoception?