Understanding Interoception in Autism: A Guide to Sensory and Emotional Self-Regulation

Interoception, often described as the body’s “sixth sense,” is our ability to notice and interpret internal signals. It plays a key role in helping us understand how we feel both physically and emotionally.

‍

For many autistic adults, interoceptive processing works differently. Some may feel signals intensely, while others barely notice them until they’re overwhelming. For example, you might feel your heartbeat pounding so strongly that it’s hard for you to focus, or you might not realize you're hungry until you feel shaky or irritable. 

‍

These differences can make it harder to identify needs, regulate emotions or explain what’s happening in your body—but they’re a natural part of the autistic experience.

‍

By building interoceptive awareness, autistic individuals can develop strategies to better recognize and respond to internal cues and improve well-being.

Interoception and sensory processing are deeply connected. Differences in one can make challenges in the other more intense. For an autistic person, difficulty detecting or interpreting an internal sensation—like hunger, pain or anxiety—can add to sensory processing challenges, making it harder to know what your body needs. 

‍

Improving interoceptive awareness can help you recognize internal bodily signals more clearly, separate them from external input and take steps to meet your needs before distress escalates—like taking a break when you notice early signs of stress instead of getting to the point of a meltdown.

‍

You can also structure your daily routine to support emotional regulation and interoceptive awareness. For example, I keep snacks on my desk, which allows me to eat immediately when I notice hunger signs. I also build in regular breaks to stay more connected to my body and respond to my needs throughout the day. 

‍

When you can tune in to your body and make sense of what it’s telling you, navigating sensory processing becomes a little more manageable, and a lot more empowering.

Interoception plays a central role in emotional regulation, as emotions often have physical sensations, like a racing heart when you're anxious. For many autistic folks, especially those with alexithymia, it can be hard to notice or interpret these internal cues, making it more difficult to understand or manage emotions.

‍

Building interoceptive awareness can help. When you become more familiar with how your body signals different emotions, it becomes easier to recognize early signs of emotional escalation and take action before things feel unmanageable.

‍

Here are a few emotional awareness exercises that may be especially helpful for autistic adults:

‍

• Body mapping: Choose a few emotions, such as anger, joy or anxiety, and notice where and how they manifest in your body. You can draw or write about these sensations as a way of tracking patterns over time.
• Name and notice: Practice naming what you feel physically when something emotional happens. For example, “My chest feels tight—I might be anxious.” Even if you're not completely sure, taking a guess helps build interoceptive awareness and can help you start making connections.
• Sensory grounding: Use your senses to anchor yourself in the present when emotions feel overwhelming. Try bringing attention to your senses using the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, where you identify 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell and 1 thing you taste.
• Emotion and action pairing: Make a list of physical signals you notice in your body—like a clenched jaw or butterflies in your stomach—and try connecting each one to the emotion it might signal for you. Then, pair those cues with supportive actions you can take, such as journaling, stimming or asking for space. 
• Tracking patterns: Use a journal or app to log sensory triggers and internal states. This can help identify connections you may not notice in the moment.

‍

These strategies take time and practice. It’s okay if you don’t always know what you’re feeling right away, or if your emotions show up in ways that don’t match how others expect. With patience and curiosity, interoceptive awareness can become a powerful tool for understanding and supporting your emotional world.

Mindfulness—paying attention to the present moment without judgment—can help autistic adults build interoceptive awareness. Over time, mindfulness practices can make it easier to recognize internal cues.

‍

Here are a few interoceptive-focused mindfulness exercises designed with autistic adults in mind:

‍

• Body scan: Slowly bring your attention to each part of your body, starting from your feet and moving upward. Notice any sensations without trying to change them.
• Heartbeat tracking: Place your hand over your chest or wrist and see if you can feel your heartbeat. Try noticing how it changes when you're calm versus anxious.
• Breath awareness: Focus on the rhythm of your breath. Where do you feel it most—your nose, chest or belly? Simply bring your attention to your breathing pattern without trying to change it.
• Emotion and sensation journaling: After an emotional moment (or during one if you're able), write down both the emotion and the body sensations that came with it. This can help you develop a habit of noticing emotional cues in real-time.
• Grounding through sensation: Use sensory tools—like a weighted blanket or fidget—to help anchor your attention to physical input. This helps you build awareness of how sensation changes your emotional state.

‍

Mindfulness isn’t about always being calm—it’s about tuning into your body. When you understand what it’s telling you, you can respond with care.

‍

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic approach that helps you identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. For autistic adults, especially those with interoceptive challenges, CBT can support emotional regulation by strengthening awareness of the connection between thoughts, feelings and physical sensations.

‍

Some aspects of CBT that are particularly beneficial for autistic adults include:

‍

• Emotion mapping: Learning to connect physical sensations with specific emotions can support both self-awareness and coping strategies. For example, you might notice that a tight chest means anxiety or nausea means fear.
• Thought tracking: Writing down automatic thoughts and exploring how they influence your feelings and behaviors helps clarify the internal experience and reduce emotional spirals.
• Developing coping skills: CBT therapists teach concrete skills to manage distress, such as reframing negative thoughts, building flexible thinking and using calming techniques like paced breathing.

‍

CBT is even more effective when paired with mindfulness or sensory-based practices, offering both cognitive and body-centered support. 

A sensory diet has nothing to do with food. It’s actually a personalized menu of activities and strategies designed to help regulate the nervous system and improve how you process sensory information. 

‍

While originally developed for children, and shown by research to have positive effects for them, sensory diets could potentially be incredibly effective for autistic adults as well. They create predictable, body-based routines that support both regulation and awareness. Everyone’s sensory needs are different, but here are some common sensory diet activities that can help:

‍

• Deep pressure input: Using a weighted blanket, compression vest or giving yourself a firm hug can create grounding proprioceptive input that helps calm your nervous system.
• Movement: Rocking, pacing, stretching, doing yoga or taking a walk helps release tension and recenter your body.
• Temperature regulation: Drinking warm tea, using a heating pad or taking a cool shower helps increase awareness of your body’s internal temperature shifts.
• Sensory breaks: Setting aside time to stim, use fidget tools or retreat to a quiet space gives your body a chance to process and recover from sensory input.
• Mindful interoceptive check-ins: Throughout the day, pause and ask yourself simple questions like, “Am I thirsty? Do I need the bathroom? Am I clenching my jaw or holding tension somewhere?” These small check-ins can build a stronger connection between your body signals and your awareness of them.

‍

It’s important to remember that a sensory diet isn’t about following rigid rules. It’s about learning what helps you feel grounded, safe and in tune with your body—and using those tools to support your interoceptive sense and emotional regulation.

Anxiety is a common mental health challenge for autistic adults. Impaired interoception can make it harder to catch early signs of anxiety, which may lead to overwhelm before you even realize you're anxious.

‍

Improving interoceptive awareness helps you notice your body’s early warning signs, giving you more time and options to respond before anxiety builds. With consistent practice, you can better understand internal cues and take supportive steps to reduce distress. Try these interoception-based strategies:

‍

• Interoceptive journaling: Keep a log of what anxiety feels like in your body, such as increased heart rate, muscle tension or nausea. Over time, you’ll learn to connect those sensations with emotional patterns.
• Visual or tactile supports: Use tools like emotion wheels, body maps or color-coded cards to identify and communicate how you’re feeling physically or emotionally. Tactile tools—like textured fidgets, weighted objects or sensory chews—can help regulate your nervous system and offer a calming focus when it’s hard to put feelings into words.
• Grounding through routine: Having consistent daily routines can reduce uncertainty and support emotional regulation. Routines also create natural opportunities to practice tuning into body signals.

‍

Addressing anxiety through the lens of interoceptive input matters because it shifts the focus from “just thinking differently” to “feeling and responding differently.” For autistic adults, this can be a more accessible and empowering approach.

If you're an autistic adult struggling to understand your body’s signals or manage emotional and sensory overwhelm, Prosper Health is here to help. Our 100% virtual therapy and evaluations—covered by most major insurance carriers—are designed with autistic and neurodivergent adults in mind. Our clinicians specialize in autism spectrum disorder, and many are neurodivergent themselves or have close personal ties to the community.

‍

Through evidence-based care, we can help you build interoceptive attention, reduce anxiety and strengthen emotional regulation. Most clients report real progress within just a few sessions.

‍

You deserve care that sees and supports your full self—no masking required. Fill out the form below or give us a call to start today.