Course | (S03) Introduction to Interoception – 22 April 2026

Price

Original price: £69.

Date

22 April 2026
9 am - 11 am (UK time)

Facilitator

Beth Smithson
Director of Lifelong Learning and Lead for Sensory Inclusive Schools

Beth Smithson is an accomplished Occupational Therapist and Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner. Her diverse career spans roles in the NHS, special schools, mainstream schools, community trusts, and NGOs overseas.Beth's journey into sensory integration began with a Vietnamese NGO, where she spent two years educating staff in sensory integration theory and sensory-based interventions. Motivated by positive outcomes, she completed training with Sensory Integration Education in 2016, becoming an Advanced SI Practitioner .In clinical roles, Beth applied sensory integration with children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in mainstream schools and students with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) in a specialist secondary school provision. Recently, Beth managed Occupational Therapy services in the NHS, successfully advocating for and embedding sensory processing and integration practice into routine NHS service delivery. Committed to advancing sensory integration, Beth supports others in their learning journeys, empowering clinicians, parents, and schools to advocate confidently for sensory integration practice.

Introduction to Sensory Interoception - Supporting Students in School

In this webinar, you will explore interoception, the lesser-known but vital sensory system that allows us to notice, interpret, and respond to internal body signals such as hunger, thirst, pain, temperature, heart rate, and the need for the toilet. Interoception plays a critical role in self-regulation, emotional awareness, and the ability to manage everyday demands in school.

Many students who struggle with regulation are missing, or misinterpreting, interoceptive cues. As a result, they may find it hard to know when they are anxious, overwhelmed, tired, or even unwell. These challenges are often misunderstood in school settings as poor behaviour, low motivation, or emotional dysregulation. In this session, you will explore what interoception is, how it develops, and what happens when this internal sensory system is out of sync.

You’ll reflect on how classroom expectations may unintentionally ignore or even override a student’s interoceptive needs, for example, asking a child to continue working while they are hungry, anxious, or need the toilet. You’ll learn how to spot the signs of interoceptive difficulties, how to support students in reconnecting with their body signals, and how to create a learning environment that supports regulation from the inside out.

Key Points

• What is interoception? Understanding the internal sensory system
• The role of interoception in self-awareness and regulation
• How interoceptive difficulties may present in the classroom
• Examples of how unmet interoceptive needs are misunderstood as behaviour
• Strategies to help students develop interoceptive awareness
• Creating classroom environments that support interoceptive regulation

What You'll Learn

• Understand what interoception is and how it underpins regulation
• Recognise signs that a student may be struggling with interoceptive awareness
• Identify common classroom practices that may override interoceptive signals
• Learn practical strategies to help students connect with and respond to their internal cues
• Explore how interoception links to anxiety, emotional regulation, and behaviour
• Build confidence in supporting students through an interoception-informed lens

Ongoing Support

Following the workshop, participants will have access to a weekly drop-in session with a Sensory Inclusive Schools Therapist for the remainder of the term. These sessions offer flexible, ongoing support as you apply what you’ve learned in your school setting. You don’t have to attend every week, but the opportunity is there when you need it. At Sensory Inclusive Schools, they're here to support you in embedding learning in a meaningful, practical, and supported way.

Optional Drop-In Dates For Your Diary (Not Recorded)

- Wednesday (29/04/2026)
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- Thursday (07/05/2026)
9:30 am - 10:30 am
- Tuesday (12/05/2026)
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- Wednesday (20/05/2026)
9:30 am - 10:30 am
- Thursday (04/06/2026)
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

And more!

Curriculum

(S03) Introduction to Interoception - Supporting Students in School
• How to use this course
• Course Format and FAQs
• 22 April Workshop Zoom Link: (S03) Introduction to Interoception - Supporting Students in School
• Optional Live Drop-ins on Zoom
• Access The SIS Community Forum
• Course Overview

Who This Course is For

• Open to all
• No prior knowledge of SI required
• Ideal for teachers, SENCOs, TAs, and pastoral staff in both primary and secondary settings

For further information, please visit Sensory Inclusive Schools website.