Too tired to concentrate? Too full to run? Researchers from the University of Cambridge have unlocked an enigma: why is it that the brains of some people receive these kinds of reliable internal body signals while others don’t?
When our brains do receive these signals, it’s called interoception. But it’s not a given that all brains do. This is nothing new, but the researchers at the University of Cambridge found that brain activation in the dorsal mid-insula, a small region of the cerebral cortex, is disrupted in people with mental health difficulties and disorders and that in turn prevents communication between internal body signals and the brain.
Until now, the field of interoception has stayed mostly below the radar in mainstream education. However, these new findings call for greater awareness of brain-body connections in the classroom, particularly post-pandemic. Teenagers in hormonal flux may experience these sensory regulation difficulties, as well as pupils with attention disorders, anxiety, autism, trauma, depression and eating disorders.
To quote American occupational therapist, Kelly Mahle, how can learning thrive when many of our pupils stop “feeling the feels”?
“Interoception is something we are all doing constantly, although we might not be aware of it,” comments Dr Camilla Nord from the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in the University of Cambridge’s research update. “For example, most of us are able to interpret the signals of low blood sugar, such as tiredness or irritability, and know we need to eat something. However, there are differences in how our brains interpret these signals.”
So, how much does this subconscious back-and-forth between neural signals and our bodily senses matter in education?
Pupils who experience low, or indeed, extreme interoception are at risk of learning loss.
For some, their internal detection system is weak, and it puts them at risk of missing important signals affecting their safety, wellbeing and ability to learn. Missed signals can range from non-painful (thirst, fatigue, muscle tension) to painful (stress fractures, bruising, joint pain or even kidney stones).
At the other extreme, pupils with interoceptive hypersensitivity are overly aware of their senses and the learning environment. They tend to become anxious and catastrophise, needing the toilet more often and mistaking body signals for symptoms of anxiety, exacerbating absence and detracting from learning. Pupils with autism may go into meltdown or shutdown if their needs are unmet.
So, what can teachers do to support learners with interoceptive difficulties?
1. Establish a ‘Zones of Regulation’ system in class
Developed by an American occupational therapist, this colour-coded system offers displays and picture cards for pupils who struggle to identify or vocalise how they feel. It takes a cognitive-behavioural approach using words and pictures for feelings, energy levels and sensory needs in blue, red, green and yellow categories. Over time, pupils can identify which colour zone they feel they are in and what may help them readjust to meet learning and communication demands. The added benefit? It teaches pupils a wide vocabulary for emotions and sensations.
2. Offer non-verbal communication cards
Non-verbal communication cards also give pupils a chance at self-regulation, whatever the sensory cause. One type is a preventative break card: pupils can signal their need for a five-minute break from their seat and divert a possible meltdown, without standing out or needing to vocalise their request in front of peers. Signal cards can also help pupils indicate noise overload, being too warm or cold, feeling unwell or needing fresh air.
3. Use an emotion or mood meter
Visual dials and thermometer displays are simple devices with a scale for pupils to indicate to an adult how calm, stressed or anxious they feel at different points in the day. Recommended by autism expert, Tony Attwood, they use colour, number and sometimes facial expressions to raise awareness of the senses and emotions. Combine one with a weekly tracking chart and review regularly to boost the child’s understanding of what they are feeling inside.
4. Avoid perfume
Fragrance, deodorant and hair products might seem innocent, but they can all trigger olfactory overload, nausea, headaches or inattention in pupils. Use sparingly.
5. Use social stories and comic strip conversations
These tools use simple language and images to describe a situation, including what to expect and why. A number of free or low-cost apps now make this quicker and easier. Use them to help affected pupils understand how their senses work and the steps they can take to feel better regulated.
6. Open up about symptoms
Interoception difficulties can cause children to wrongly attribute symptoms or suffer in silence. So, make signs and symptoms an open part of your classroom conversations whenever they come up - over time this helps reduce anxiety and encourages pupils to vocalise their own experience. Kelly Mahler’s free resources can help make this process more structured.
Liz Hawker is a SEND specialist, Level 7 assessor and education writer in Kent. She tweets @hawkerl1
