Interoception and its application to paediatric occupational therapy: A scoping review.
Emma Clark, Ted Brown, Mong-Lin Yu
PMID 39505563WHAT IT FOUND
Interoception is increasingly used in paediatric occupational therapy, but the evidence base is thin.
Most included studies were small, uncontrolled, or opinion pieces. Structured programs exist, but rigorous research proving they improve participation or regulation is largely missing.
Key findings
01The review included 18 articles, but 8 were grey literature (books, theses, opinion pieces) and the peer-reviewed research articles were predominantly low-level evidence (Level III).
02Intervention options are limited to a few structured programs, such as the Interoception Curriculum, which showed statistically significant improvements in interoceptive awareness in two small studies.
03Assessment tools for interoception are available but lack strong links to occupational therapy concepts, making it difficult to set meaningful, occupation-based goals.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The primary limitation is the low quality of evidence in the included studies. Most peer-reviewed articles were Level III (non-experimental, exploratory, or qualitative) and grey literature made up nearly half the included sources. The search was limited to English-language publications from 2013 onwards, which may have excluded relevant international or earlier work. The review could not assess the effectiveness of interventions because the included studies were mostly small pilots or case series without control groups. There is a significant gap in research linking interoception assessment directly to occupational therapy outcomes and participation.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was supported by non-U.S. government sources (implied by publication location and typical funding, though specific grant details are not in the provided text beyond the declaration of no COI).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that because interoception is a popular concept in paediatric OT, it is a proven intervention. The 'positive' results in the two small studies cited refer to improvements in interoceptive awareness scores, not necessarily to improved daily life participation or functional outcomes. The evidence base is currently too weak to support routine, protocol-driven interoception therapy over other established approaches without strong clinical reasoning.