You close your laptop. Only then do you realise how urgently you need the toilet. Your glass of water is untouched. And when someone asks what you need, your first answer is “I have no idea.”
Perhaps this sounds familiar. “Listen to your body” can be harder than it sounds: first you have to notice a signal, understand it and make room to respond.
If you sometimes notice needs late, you are allowed to use external cues. You do not have to wait until those needs become impossible to ignore. This article explains the background and offers small everyday options. AuDHD is a community term for co-occurring autism and ADHD, not a separate diagnosis.
Interoception: What you notice from inside your body
Interoception means perceiving internal bodily states, such as hunger, thirst or a full bladder. The National Autistic Society describes it as one of our senses. Sensory experiences can differ between people and situations.
They do not all have to follow the same pattern. You might notice your heartbeat clearly but struggle to tell whether you are hungry. Or you might feel uncomfortable without knowing why. One experience alone cannot tell you whether you have ADHD or are autistic.
For everyday purposes, it helps to separate three questions:
- Noticing: Is a signal reaching my attention?
- Understanding: Can I describe what I feel or need?
- Responding: Can I interrupt what I am doing and act on it?
These questions are a practical sorting tool, not a medical test. Noticing thirst but carrying on working for an hour presents a different obstacle from not noticing thirst at all.
What autism and ADHD research actually tells us
“People with AuDHD feel their bodies less accurately” is too broad a claim.
A systematic review of autism research by Klein and colleagues (2025) found mixed evidence. Its pooled analysis of comparable adult studies found no statistically significant difference in heartbeat perception accuracy. Other aspects also showed no consistent pattern.
For ADHD, a review by Bruton and colleagues (2025) found evidence of differences, alongside small samples and methodological limitations. A further adult study by Göz Tebrizcik and colleagues (2025) reported differences on several measures, but also had a small sample and a limited age range.
Perceiving heartbeats in a study is not the same as noticing hunger while working. Research on autism or ADHD also cannot automatically explain how both interact for a particular person. Your observations deserve attention even when research cannot clearly explain their cause.
Find the point where things become difficult
Choose one recurring situation rather than monitoring everything. For example: “After working for a while, I only notice what I need when I stand up.” Look for a small support at that particular point.
If you notice very little: Use an existing transition
After a meeting or before opening a new task, you could briefly ask: Would I like a drink? Do I need the toilet? Is it time for my usual meal? Am I sitting uncomfortably?
You do not have to feel anything specific. “I don't know right now” is a valid answer. Looking at your day offers another clue: Was there actually time for lunch, or did it disappear between appointments?
Start with one suitable transition. You do not need a series of new alarms. A reminder can remain an invitation rather than another task to pass or fail.
If you feel something but cannot identify it: Describe it first
“I feel bad somehow” is hard to respond to. “My jaw feels tense and I feel warm” is more specific. You do not have to explain it immediately.
Perhaps you can adjust the room temperature or your sitting position. Perhaps you need help making sense of it. Tension, tiredness and irritability do not reliably identify hunger or any other single need. A fixed translation chart would suggest more certainty than is justified.
If you know what you need: Make stopping easier
You notice thirst but want to finish “just this paragraph”. The useful adjustment may be an easier exit from work rather than more observation.
Write down the next step: “Resume at paragraph three: add the example.” Now you have a place to return to. A drink within reach or an accessible, familiar meal also removes a preparation step. Adapt these ideas to your needs and any existing medical advice.
The article on restarting after an interruption explores that transition further.
What a small experiment could look like
Mira is fictional. She usually carries on working straight after video meetings. Later she realises she skipped her planned lunch break. She does not know whether she failed to notice hunger or postponed responding to it.
For the next working day, she places a note beside her keyboard: “After the midday meeting: Is it time for my meal?” She keeps that time free and considers which familiar meal will be available. Before getting up, she writes down her next work step.
That evening she asks only: Was the cue well placed? Was food available? Could I interrupt my work? Those answers help her adjust the arrangement. She does not need to document every sensation or turn one day into a rule about herself.
If choosing and preparing food is the main obstacle, try the article with five meal-planning tips for AuDHD.
A note that can stay small
My moment: After which transition will I briefly check in?
My question: What do I notice, and what is unclear?
My next step: What do I need, or what support is missing?
My return: Where will I resume after the interruption?
These suggestions are everyday experiments, not a proven treatment for interoception difficulties. If paying attention to your body increases anxiety or repeated checking, leave out the observation. You can use existing meal and break times as cues instead, and seek support when needed.
Seek medical assessment for new, severe or persistent symptoms, significant changes in eating or drinking, or pain. They are not automatically part of AuDHD.
For tomorrow, one experiment is enough: Choose an existing transition and one concrete question. For example: “Before I open the next task, do I need anything?” You do not have to know the answer immediately. You can start by making room for it.