Understanding Interoception: The Eighth Sense in Home Education

Before You Ask, “How Do You Feel?” by Sarah Collins, Homeschool OT

“How do you feel?” It sounds like a simple question. But for some children, it’s actually a very complicated one. To answer, a child has to notice what is happening inside their body, make sense of those signals, connect them with an emotion, and then find the words to tell us about it. That’s a lot happening behind one little question.

Start With the Body: Interoception is the sense that helps us notice what is happening inside our bodies. It helps us notice things like hunger, thirst, temperature, pain, and the need to use the bathroom. It also helps us notice the body signals that may accompany emotions. A child might notice:

“My stomach feels tight.”

“My heart is beating fast.”

“My hands feel sweaty.”

“My legs feel jumpy.”

Adults are often quick to interpret those signals.

“You must be nervous.”

But a fast heartbeat doesn’t necessarily mean nervous. A child could be excited, surprised, scared, or simply recovering from running around outside.

Instead of starting with the emotion, we can help children start with what they actually notice.

Try a Smaller Question

Rather than asking your child to describe their whole internal experience with “How do you feel?”, try asking about one body part.

“What do you notice in your stomach?”

“How do your hands feel?”

“What is your heart doing?”

Your child might have an answer.

They might say, “I don’t know.”

They might also give you an answer you never would have expected.

All three are okay.

We aren’t trying to quiz children on their bodies or teach them the correct answer. We’re giving them opportunities to notice.

Let Them Hear You Notice, Too

You can also model this without asking your child anything.

While preparing lunch, you might say, “My hands feel sticky after cutting that apple. I’m going to wash them.”

After playing outside: “My heart is beating really fast.”

Holding a cold drink: “My fingers feel cold.”

You’re making an invisible process visible.

Over time, these ordinary conversations can give children opportunities to notice their own internal experiences and begin finding language to describe them.

Before we ask children to tell us which emotion they’re experiencing or what they need to do about it, we can start somewhere much simpler:

What does your body notice?

I recently talked with occupational therapist and interoception expert Kelly Mahler about body signals, emotions, and helping children understand their own internal experiences on The OT is IN podcast.

Sarah Collins, founder of HomeschoolOT

About Sarah Collins, MSOT, OTR/L, occupational therapist, homeschool mom, author, and founder of HomeschoolOT. With more than 17 years of experience supporting children and families, she helps parents understand how learning, movement, sensory processing, executive functioning, and daily life skills work together.

Since beginning her own homeschool journey in 2017, Sarah has combined her professional expertise with real-life experience, helping families create learning environments that honor each child’s unique strengths and challenges. Through HomeschoolOT and The OT is IN podcast, she shares practical strategies that help parents move beyond curriculum choices and better understand how their children learn best.

Sarah believes that homeschooling is not about recreating school at home. It is about helping children grow into capable, confident learners while building strong family relationships along the way.

Learn more: homeschoolot.com

More in HomeschoolOT