Your students don’t need more strategies.
They need support noticing when to use them.

Many students with ADHD struggle with self-regulation, not because they don’t know what to do, but because they don’t detect internal signals in time.

By the time they notice hunger, fatigue, frustration, or stress…
it’s already too late.

This resource gives you a practical, school-based resources to support interoception in the classroom.

What This Resource Does

This is a performance-based support that helps you:

Identify interoception-related challenges in real classroom behavior
Understand what’s actually happening beneath “sudden” behavior
Provide supports that work in the moment, not just in theory
Build awareness in a way that connects directly to classroom performance

What’s Included

Interoception in the Classroom Guide
- Identify patterns of missed internal signals across daily routines and classroom demands
Behavior Doesn’t Come Out of Nowhere One-Sheet
- Reframe sudden behavior through an interoceptive lens (perfect for team conversations)
Self-Regulation Ladder Poster
- Visual support to help students understand rising internal states and response options
Performance-Based Goal Bank
- IEP-ready goals that connect interoception to observable classroom participation
Visual Supports Set
- Feelings visual support
- “Where is your energy?” scale: Based on the work of Autism Level UP! (2019, Laurent, A. C., & Fede, J.)
- Body Scan: Based on the work of Kelly Mahler, OTD, OTR/L , Interoception Curriculum

How This Is Different

Most self-regulation supports focus on strategies. This resource focuses on detection first. Because: You can’t regulate what you don’t detect. These tools reduce reliance on internal awareness and provide external supports that make noticing possible.

Who This Is For

School-based occupational therapists
Special education teachers
Classroom teachers
School teams supporting students with ADHD

How to Use

Use these tools to:

Guide observation and data collection
Support team understanding (teachers + caregivers)
Introduce interoception in a concrete, visual way
Build structured routines for noticing internal state
Connect internal awareness directly to classroom actions

If your students “know what to do” but still can’t do it, this is the missing piece.

behavior supports

Interoception Supports for ADHD: Classroom Tools and Goals for Self-Regulation