Recent research relating embodied cognition, emotional regulation, arousal levels, interoceptive awareness, sensory processing (Sung et al.,2024; Brown & Dunn, 2023; Aziz-Zadeh et al., 2018), mental health and learning is revitalizing school occupational therapy intervention (Barmpagiannis & Baldimtsi, 2025; Jeon & Lee, 2018; Shapiro & Stolz, 2019).
Embodied cognition research suggests that body-based movement, gestures, imitation, hands on activities and an emotionally engaging curriculum significantly enhance mental health and school learning in typical (Ahn, 20022) and special education students (Sung et al., 2022; Tancredi et al., 2022; Aziz-Zadeh et al., 2018). Embodied cognition has also shown the importance of environmental adaptations, interoceptive awareness, emotional regulation, and a transdisciplinary approach in schools (Shapiro & Stolz, 2019). The importance of embodiment in special education has been particularly strong given the findings of significantly greater difficulties with interoceptive awareness, sensory processing, and learning found in students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, a history of trauma, and mental health challenges.
The new embodiment research suggests new school occupational therapy interventions that provide distinct value in improving student mental health for learning. The new interventions integrate developmentally individualized mindfulness (Gerbarg & Brown, 2024; Weng et al., 2021), interoceptive body awareness (Mahler et al., 2022; Weng et al., 2021; Barmpagiannis. & Baldimtsi, 2025), touch (Eggbart et al., 2019; Proff et al., 2022; Price & Weng, 2021), emotion regulation (Rodriguez & Kross, 2023), sensory modulation, and environmental adaptation interventions (Schmitt & Schoen, 2022; Tancredi et al., 2021).
Sensation can function as a coping strategy enhancing emotion regulation in response to problematic sensory modulation and emotional challenges for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Rodriguez & Kross, 2023; Barmpagiannis & Baldimtsi, 2025). FABRollTherapyBallCoreProgressionStrategy An important clinical insight in treating youth with complex behavioral challenges has been that school occupational therapy intervention with students who have developmental, Autism Spectrum, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders that is developmentally individualized to enhance interoceptive body awareness can improve behavior and learning. New Interoceptive Awareness Strategies for School OT
Recent research indicates that students with developmental and sensory challenges respond best to individualized sensory-motor teaching strategies embedded in their school routine (Schmitt & Schoen, 2022).
An assessment of sensory processing and interoceptive awareness can guide flexible instruction that is emotionally engaging and adapts to the student individualized sensory-motor development and needs (Brown & Dunn, 2023). New embodied cognition research is facilitating the development of individualized integrated school occupational therapy interventions providing distinct value in promoting learning and mental health (Shapiro & Stolz, 2019).
References Barmpagiannis, P., Baldimtsi, E. (2025). Interoception and emotional regulation in autistic children through an occupational therapy perspective: A literature review. Brazilian Journal of Science, 4(2), Brown, C., & Dunn, W. (2023). Development of a Participation Focused Measure of Interoception for Adults. OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 43(2), 264-270.Aziz-Zadeh, L., Kilroy, E., & Corcelli, G. (2018). Understanding activation patterns in shared circuits: Toward a value driven model. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 180. Deng, J., Lei, T., & Du, X. (2023). Effects of sensory integration training on balance function and executive function in children with autism spectrum disorder: evidence from Footscan and fNIRS. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1269462. Eggbart, M., Queri, S., & Miller-Oerlinghausen, B. (2019). Are the antidepressive effects of massage therapy mediated by restoration of impaired interoceptive functioning? A novel hypothetical mechanism. Medical Hypotheses, 12, 28-32. Gerbarg, P. & Brown, R. (2024). Breath-focused mind-body therapy for global mental health: war and other mass disasters. Academia Mental Health and Well-Being, 1(1). Jeon, H., & Lee, S. H. (2018). From neurons to social beings: short review of the mirror neuron system research and its socio-psychological and psychiatric implications. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience, 16(1), 18. Mahler, K., Hample, K., Jones, C., Sensenig, J., Thomasco, P., & Hilton, C. (2022). Impact of an interoception‐based program on emotion regulation in autistic children. Occupational Therapy International, 2022(1), 9328967. Proff, I., Williams, G. L., Quadt, L., & Garfinkel, S. N. (2022). Sensory processing in autism across exteroceptive and interoceptive domains. Psychology & Neuroscience, 15(2), 105. Rodriguez, M., & Kross, E. (2023). Sensory emotion regulation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 27(4), 379-390. Schmitt, C. M., & Schoen, S. (2022). Interoception: A multi-sensory foundation of participation in daily life. Frontiers in neuroscience, 16, 875200. for education. Theory and Research in Education, 17(1), 19-39. Shapiro, L., & Stolz, S. A. (2019). Embodied cognition and its significance for education. Theory and Research in Education, 17(1), 19-39. Tancredi, S., Chen, R. S., Krause, C., Abrahamson, D., & Gomez, F. (2021). Getting up to SpEED: Special education embodied design for sensorially equitable inclusion. Education Sciences and Society, (2021). Weng, H. Y., Feldman, J. L., Leggio, L., Napadow, V., Park, J., & Price, C. J. (2021). Interventions and manipulations of interoception. Trends in neurosciences, 44(1), 52-62. |
