This review is deeply connected to my personal and professional journey. From a young age, I often questioned why I did not seem to experience emotions like anger, frustration, or sadness the same way others did. I seldom felt upset, and for many years, I interpreted that lack of emotion as a sign of emotional stability or strength. It was only much later, during my own recovery journey after trauma, that I began to understand the deeper meaning behind this emotional quietness. I realized that I had spent much of my life in a survival mode, disconnected from my inner sensations and unaware of the subtle messages my body was constantly sending. What I once saw as calmness was a lack of interoceptive awareness, the ability to sense, interpret, and find meaning in internal bodily cues. This realization marked a significant turning point in my life, igniting a keen interest in the mind–body connection. It prompted me to explore what interoception truly is, how it develops, and its role in emotional regulation. As an Occupational Therapist, I observed similar patterns among the children I worked with, especially those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many struggled to identify or articulate what they were feeling physically, which affected their ability to regulate emotions. Their experiences deeply reflected my own, inspiring me to investigate the hidden link between body awareness, self-regulation, and emotional well-being. My understanding of interoception grew further when I came across Kelly Mahler's work on the Interoception Curriculum. Implementing the interoceptive curriculum program in a special school setting was transformative, impacting not just the children but also me as a clinician and as an individual. I began with simple exercises, asking questions such as, "How does my hand feel?" However, in teaching this, I realized that I, too, struggled to find words to describe my own bodily sensations. It was a humbling and enlightening experience, one that blurred the lines between teacher and learner. Through this process, I discovered that understanding interoception was not just a professional goal but also a profoundly personal journey of reconnection. This scoping review stems from the intersection of lived experience and professional inquiry. It aims to systematically examine current evidence on interoception-based interventions designed to enhance emotional regulation in children with autism spectrum disorder aged 5–18 years. Beyond mapping existing knowledge and identifying research gaps, this work reflects my commitment to integrating self-awareness, compassion, and evidence-based practice in occupational therapy. It also underscores my belief that helping children develop awareness of their inner experiences supports their autonomy, emotional stability, and self-understanding. I would like to sincerely thank my therapist, Suzana Sagadin, who first sparked this fire within me and helped me start thinking and feeling differently. Her guidance was instrumental in helping me reconnect with my own interoceptive awareness and healing process. I am equally grateful to my supervisor, Hemakumar Devan, whose ongoing support and encouragement have guided me throughout this research journey. Their influence has shaped not only this work but also my view of myself as both a practitioner and a human being. In this review, I further examine what it truly means to be connected to our bodies, emotions, and the world around us. It serves as both a scientific investigation and a personal reflection on how awareness can change not only our practice as therapists but also our way of living.
PAHUJA et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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