Using The BOUNCE Approach®
What’s happening
- Interoception is our sense of what’s happening inside the body. It helps us notice signals like hunger, thirst, needing the toilet, a racing heart, or butterflies in the stomach.
- For some children — especially those who are neurodivergent, sensory sensitive, or trauma-impacted — interoceptive signals can be hard to recognise or interpret.
- This can make it difficult to understand emotions, regulate behaviour, or know what the body needs.
- Energy battery impact: when children miss or misinterpret body cues, they may run out of energy suddenly, skip regulation opportunities, or mislabel feelings (e.g., “angry” when actually tired or hungry).
The BOUNCE Approach®
🖤 B — Body and Nervous System (Inside Tool)
- Teach children to pause and notice internal states: heartbeat, breathing, muscle tension.
- Use grounding practices (body scans, movement breaks) to increase awareness.
❤️ O — Openness to Connection and Attachment (In-Between Tool)
- Model curiosity: “My stomach is rumbling — that tells me I need food.”
- Share interoceptive language at home or in class to normalise body awareness.
🧡 U — Understanding Sensory Differences (Outside Tool)
- Recognise that interoceptive signals may be too faint (missed) or too strong (overwhelming).
- Create supportive routines — regular snack, water, and toilet breaks — so children don’t have to rely only on body cues.
💚 N — Navigating Emotions (Inside Tool)
- Link body sensations to feelings: “A racing heart can mean excitement or worry.”
- Help children map these sensations to colour states (Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Blue).
💙 C — Connection to Self and Others (In-Between Tool)
- Encourage children to explain body signals in their own way — words, drawings, or metaphors.
- Validate their perspective, even if it seems unusual (“Your tummy feels fizzy when you’re nervous — that makes sense”).
💜 E — Esteem and Identity (Inside Tool)
- Affirm: “Learning what your body tells you helps you take care of yourself.”
- Celebrate progress in noticing and communicating internal states.
Adult Focus:
- Interoception is a trainable skill — it develops with practice, not pressure.
- Respect individual differences — some children may need structured tools, others may prefer metaphor or play.
- Recognise that missed cues are not laziness or defiance.
Next Steps
- Explore further learning:
- Interoception in the Classroom — structured resources to build body awareness for regulation.
- Sensory Differences Pack — visuals and activities to link body states with emotions.
- Grounding Techniques — simple practices to connect with internal signals.
- Family Coaching: Learn how to use everyday routines (mealtimes, bedtimes, play) to strengthen interoceptive awareness at home. Click here
- Join the Learning Portal: Access 80+ trainings, printable tools, and interventions for building interoception, emotional literacy, and regulation skills. Click here
👉 Interoception is the foundation of self-regulation. When children can notice what their body is telling them, they can begin to meet their needs with confidence.
