PT, ADHD, Autism, and Body Awareness: What I See in the Clinic and at Home
As a physical therapist, I am grateful to have the ability to spend so much time with my clients during our sessions. I am also grateful that this allows my clients to be comfortable sharing so much about themselves and their journeys with me. In doing so, I have found recently that more and more clients have been sharing similar stories with me - sharing that they are neurodivergent, often having been diagnosed with ADHD or Autism, and that they have difficulty feeling what's going on with their bodies. They may have difficulty "finding" certain muscles (do I even have a pelvic floor?), isolating the movement of certain muscles, or understanding how their body is moving in space. They often share that previous physical therapy experiences weren't that helpful because they didn't know if they were really doing the exercises correctly, but no one stopped to help them further - it was good enough if the exercise looked right, even if they didn't feel much of anything.
As physical therapists, we learn a lot about proprioception (knowing where your body is in space), but we don't learn much about interoception (your body's internal cues). I find that my clients with these differences in body awareness need different cues and a slightly different approach to treatment - whether that be different verbal instructions, having them place their hands on their body to feel certain muscles, adjusting their home exercises to make sure they will do them (hello, frequent changes and making sure it's all right in one spot!), or just really listening to what their experience is so we can work together to find what works for them.
'Why have you been more in tune to this recently?,' you may ask. My journey has included my son recently being diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, my husband realizing he has dysgraphia and likely ADHD, and my daughter…well she's too young to know yet. As the neurotypical individual living in this household (!), I have been doing sooo much learning about ADHD and Autism and how learning, attention, and body awareness, among many other aspects, are different than they are for me. And it's been such an interesting, fascinating, and admittedly sometimes frustrating, learning experience for me. So let's dive in:
Physical Therapy and Neurodivergence: Understanding Interoception and Proprioception
When we think of physical therapy, most people picture recovery after an injury or surgery—but PT can also play a key role in supporting people who are neurodivergent. Conditions such as ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences, and anxiety can affect how the body perceives and responds to internal and external cues. This is where two often-overlooked senses—interoception and proprioception—come into play.
At Natural Fit Physio, we take a whole-body approach to understanding these systems, helping clients feel more connected to and confident in their bodies.
What Are Interoception and Proprioception?
Interoception is your body’s internal sense—your awareness of what’s happening inside you. It helps you notice when you’re hungry, thirsty, need the bathroom, or feel anxious or calm. When interoception is dysregulated, you might struggle to identify what your body needs or feel "off" without knowing why.
Proprioception, on the other hand, is your body’s sense of where it is in space. It helps you move efficiently, balance, and coordinate. You use proprioception constantly—from adjusting posture at your desk to walking through a doorway without bumping your shoulder. When proprioceptive processing is altered, movements can feel clumsy, uncoordinated, or effortful, and posture or body awareness may be off.
How Neurodivergence Affects These Body Systems
For many neurodivergent individuals, the brain processes sensory input differently. That can mean:
Over-responsiveness (feeling too much): Small sensations—like clothing tags, sounds, or muscle tension—can feel overwhelming.
Under-responsiveness (feeling too little): It might take a lot of movement, pressure, or stimulation to register what’s happening in the body.
These differences can affect how someone experiences fatigue, pain, balance, bladder cues, hunger, or even emotional states. For example:
A person with autism might have trouble recognizing subtle internal signals, leading to skipped meals or missed bathroom cues.
Someone with ADHD might constantly move or fidget as a way to seek proprioceptive feedback and stay regulated.
A person with heightened anxiety might feel every internal sensation amplified, which can lead to muscle tension or over-breathing patterns.
The Role of Physical Therapy
A physical therapist with a body-awareness and sensory-informed approach can help bridge the gap between what the body feels and how the brain interprets those signals.
Through gentle, individualized treatment, we can help improve body awareness, coordination, and sensory regulation by focusing on:
Movement and posture retraining: Helping the body find alignment and ease through strengthening, mobility, and breathwork.
Proprioceptive input: Using grounding movements, weighted activities, or specific exercises to improve spatial awareness and coordination.
Interoceptive awareness: Teaching how to tune into internal cues—like heart rate, breathing, or muscle tension—to recognize stress, fatigue, or calm.
Nervous system regulation: Incorporating tools like rhythmic movement, diaphragmatic breathing, and gentle manual therapy to help the body feel safe and connected.
Why This Matters
When you better understand your body’s sensory systems, you can move through life with more comfort and control. Improving interoception and proprioception can lead to:
Enhanced focus and coordination
Reduced stress and anxiety
Better balance, posture, and movement confidence
More awareness of internal cues like hunger, thirst, and rest needs
Greater comfort in daily activities
A Whole-Body, Individualized Approach
At Natural Fit Physio, we believe there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to physical therapy—especially for neurodivergent clients. We start by listening to your body’s story, understanding how you experience movement and sensation, and working together to create strategies that feel supportive, not overwhelming.
By blending movement science with nervous system awareness, we help you reconnect with your body, build resilience, and feel more naturally in sync with yourself.