EmphaSIze November 2024: Understanding Interoception

By Sensory Integration Education, 1st November 2024

Welcome to the November issue of EmphaSIze where this month we're focusing on Understanding Interoception!

Over the last few years, there has been increasing awareness of interoception, the sense that helps us make sense of our body signals. Individuals with sensory processing challenges can struggle with the interoceptive sense and may have trouble knowing when they feel hungry, full, hot, cold or thirsty.

This month’s issue of EmphaSIze explores interoception in more detail as well as looking at the important role it plays in our overall health and wellbeing and how we can better support individuals with poor interoceptive awareness.

Also with the festive season fast approaching, we are busy working behind the scenes on this year’s SIE Sensory Gift Guide! If you have any sensory gift ideas or suggestions we can include in this year’s guide, please send them our way by emailing us at: support@sensoryintegration.org.uk.

News & Features

Join Us for Our Next Sensory Spotlight Talk on 20th November: Interoception: Neuroscience and Clinical Considerations

We’re delighted to have one of our SIE Fellows, Professor Shelly Lane, host our next Sensory Spotlight Talk on 20^th November.

The theme of this exclusive live webinar is Interoception: Neuroscience and Clinical Considerations.

Our understanding of the complex process of interoception continues to emerge as its importance as a sensory system becomes more evident and in this webinar Professor Lane presents an overview of interoceptive functions and neural structures as well as considering clinical applications.

This Sensory Spotlight Talk will cover the following 3 sections:

Part 1	Definition of Interoception (detailing its function, receptors, pathways & features) CT touch and its links to interoception Neural aspects of interoception and CT touch
Part 2	Overview of measurement of interception: shortcomings and tools Linking interoception to sensory integration and social interaction Interoception and participation challenges: links to mental and physical health challenges
Part 3	Interoceptive interventions

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the interoception sensory system – register here to book your place!

Watch SIE in Action at Next Month's OT Show!

If you’ve already got your ticket for next month’s OT Show at the NEC in Birmingham, then be sure to book your spot in the Showcase Theatre at 3.20pm on Day 1 or 11.30am on Day 2 to see our very own Beth Smithson take to the stage!

In her presentation ‘A Dynamic Choreography: Sensory Regulation’, Beth will examine the fascinating relationship between our central nervous system and the environments around us. Likening ourselves to dancers performing the beautiful dance of sensory regulation, Beth will explore how, as OTs, our role becomes the steady partner in this dance – providing coping strategies when someone’s sensory systems become overwhelmed and helping to guide them back into the rhythm of life’s dance.

Beth’s presentation promises a wealth of ideas to reflect on and take back to your practice. Don’t miss out – book your place on the OT Show Event App now!

If you haven’t already booked to attend the Show, you can register for your free ticket here.

What is Interoceptive Awareness?

As an internal sensory system that helps us notice how we feel, interoception is crucial for being able to regulate and manage our own emotions. In this latest blog, SIE’s Dr Lelanie Brewer explores what interoceptive awareness is all about and how it relates to making sense of how we are feeling, decoding the situation we are currently in and working out how to address it. For example, we might recognise a sensation or rumble in our abdomen, identify this as feeling hungry and then respond by eating to meet this need.

The blog also looks at what happens when we have poor interoceptive awareness and difficulties making sense of our internal body signals and how this can impact our ability to self-regulate.

Read the full blog here.

Applications Now Open for Our Next SI Highfliers Scholarship Place!

Could you be our next SI Highflier? The SI Highfliers Scholarship Scheme enables top graduates in occupational therapy, physiotherapy or speech and language therapy to study for a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Sensory Integration for a nominal fee of £600 payable at the start of the first module - saving over £2500*.

In partnership with our Higher Education partner Sheffield Hallam University, SIE has committed to funding 3 scholarship places every year on our PGCert in Sensory Integration course which qualifies students as SI Practitioners, enabling them to gain the knowledge and clinical experience needed to support people with sensory integration differences.

Applications are now open for the SI Highfliers scholarship place for the January 2025 student intake. The deadline for applying is 2pm on 15 November 2024 and the scholarship winner will be informed by 4pm on the same day.

*The full price of the PGCert is normally £3,194.

Find out more and apply here.

Highlights from the First Day of This Year’s International Sensory Integration Congress

This year’s 3-day International Sensory Integration Congress in Sydney kicked off on Monday 28th October. The theme of this year’s Congress is Elevating Evidence-Based Practice in Ayres Sensory Integration. Gina Evans attended virtually on behalf of SIE and you can read her blog to find out more about all the latest developments in the international field of Sensory Integration.

Read the blog here.

Also see:

Autism signs and symptoms: Common signals in women and girls that are missed

I have ADHD and my partner is autistic — we’re better together because of it

Partnership produces portable sensory boxes for rugby clubs

A US police department is becoming ‘sensory-friendly.’ Here’s what that means.

Resources

In this month’s SI Resources blog, we’ve put together articles, guides, books and products to help us better understand interoception and how we can better support individuals who have poor interoceptive awareness

Making Sense of Interoception
Interoception - Our Internal Dashboard Explained for Schools
Interoception and Sensory Processing Challenges
Maya's Lungs (Early Childhood Interoceptive Awareness Series)

See our latest resources ideas here.

SI Research Digest

Easy-to-read summaries of all the latest SI and sensory processing research papers and findings. Click here to view the summaries of the research and access the direct links to the published papers, including:

Interoception, Emotion Regulation Strategies and Skin-picking Behaviours
Clinical Correlates and Prevalence of Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Neurodiversity in the Healthcare Profession
Parental Descriptions of Sensory Processing in Autism

Upcoming Courses and Webinars

We have a number of live webinars that take place throughout the year covering a broad range of SI-related topics. Below is a snapshot of webinars happening over the next few months or click here to view a summary of all the upcoming live events.

All these webinars are available to you by signing up to our Lifelong Learning Programme or can be purchased as individual courses:

Latest Job Listings

Are you thinking of making a career move this year? Check out our latest job listing:

Paediatric Occupational Therapists with Sensory Integration, PACT (Parents And Children Together), Berkshire & London, UK

Discounts & Special Offers

Please quote DISCOUNT CODE SIE20 for 10% discount on Southpaw orders up to £100. Orders must be placed by phone on +44 (0) 115 718 0020.

Would you like to receive EmphaSIze: The Sensory Integration Newsletter in your inbox? JOIN SIE FREE TODAY

Best wishes,

Sensory Integration Education

NB: Sensory Integration Education is not responsible for the content on external websites. Sharing a resource does not imply endorsement by Sensory Integration Education.

Find Out About Sensory Integration Training

Explore Here