Interoception Curriculum at Pond Meadow

What is Interoception?

Interoception is the sense that helps us notice what is happening inside our bodies. This includes physical sensations (e.g. hunger, thirst, needing the toilet) and emotional sensations (e.g. calm, anxious, excited). Developing interoceptive awareness supports pupils to better understand themselves and communicate their needs.

Curriculum Intent

The Interoception Curriculum is a structured, evidence-informed approach that supports pupils to develop awareness of internal body signals (interoception) and understand how these signals relate to emotions, self-regulation, and behaviour (interoceptive awareness). For pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD), interoceptive differences can significantly impact their ability to recognise and interpret internal sensations such as hunger, tiredness, pain, or emotional arousal, which can result in difficulties with emotional regulation, communication, independence, and readiness to learn.

The intent of this curriculum is to equip learners for life by explicitly teaching the foundations of emotional awareness, regulation, and independence. It reflects the school’s values of learning, respect, equality, and independence, ensuring all pupils recognising that all pupils deserve access to the internal literacy needed to understand and advocate for their own needs, and have access to meaningful self-regulation skills regardless of ability.

Curriculum Implementation

The curriculum is based on Kelly Mahler’s four-stage framework, adapted to meet the diverse cognitive, sensory, and communication needs of pupils with ASD and SLD. It follows a structured, developmentally appropriate progression:

1. Body Signal Awareness (Body)
   Pupils are supported to notice internal body sensations through modelling, visuals, sensory experiences, and repetition within familiar routines.
2. Body Signal Interpretation (Emotion)
   Pupils learn to make sense of internal sensations and link them to physical and emotional states.
3. Response and Regulation (Action)
   Pupils are taught strategies to help their bodies feel “just right”, such as accessing movement, rest, sensory tools, or adult support.
4. Generalisation and Independence
   The above skills are practised across different environments, people, and contexts to promote independence.

This curriculum is taught explicitly in structured lessons, embedded in daily routines, highly personalised to the individual, and delivered through a total communication approach, including symbols, visuals, objects, AAC, and spoken language.

Impact on Pupils

The Interoception Curriculum supports pupils to:

• Understand the signals they feel in their body
• Improve emotional awareness and self-regulation
• Reduce anxiety and dysregulation
• Increase functional communication of needs
• Engage more effectively in learning
• Develop independence and wellbeing skills

Progress is assessed through observation, communication outcomes, and individualised targets rather than academic measures alone.

Why This Curriculum Matters

By addressing the underlying causes of dysregulation rather than simply managing behaviour, the Interoception Curriculum promotes dignity, autonomy, and long-term life skills. It creates a shared, consistent approach across the school, supporting pupils, staff, and families to understand behaviour as communication and to respond with empathy and effectiveness.