Understand your child’s sensory needs

The interoceptive sense is how our body sends us messages. This tells us when we need the toilet, whether we’re too hot or cold, hungry or thirsty, or when we’re full. 

How this can look different

Children with a dysregulated interoceptive sense may: 

• not know when they need the toilet until the last minute
• feel they need to go all the time
• drink or eat excessively
• feel sensations in unusual ways.  

For a child with limited language who is unable to explain how they feel, they may behave in ways that are telling us that something is wrong.