Talking About Emotions Through the Body: A Path to Connection with Autistic Individuals

Talking about emotions with autistic people through the body is not only effective — it’s deeply respectful, human, and compassionate. Many autistic individuals feel emotions with great intensity, but struggle to identify or verbalize them. Words can be confusing, overwhelming, or simply unavailable in the moment. But the body — the body always speaks.

For some, emotion is first and foremost a physical experience: a racing heart, clenching in the stomach, flapping hands, pacing, freezing, retreating into stillness. These aren't “behaviours to manage” — they are emotional expressions trying to find a way out.

As caregivers, parents, educators or therapists, we can learn to listen to the body. When we see a child curling into themselves, we might gently reflect: “I notice you're hugging your knees — maybe you're feeling nervous?” If a teenager begins pacing back and forth, we might say: “Your feet are moving quickly — could it be you're feeling overwhelmed?” This type of body-based emotional mirroring gives permission to feel, without pressure to explain.

Movement can also be a healing tool. Jumping to release anger. Squeezing something soft when feeling anxious. Stretching when overloaded. Even walking side by side — rather than face-to-face — can invite openness in a non-threatening way. Emotions, when trapped in the body, can turn into shutdown, withdrawal, or explosive outbursts. But when we teach someone to notice and work with those signals, we open the door to emotional regulation and self-connection.

This is especially important for autistic individuals, whose inner world is often rich and alive — but difficult to translate into words. Talking through the body validates their experience as real and worthy, exactly as it is. We stop expecting “answers” and start offering understanding.

It’s okay if the words don’t come. It’s okay if the child can't say “I’m scared” — but wraps themselves tightly in a blanket. That is communication. That is emotion. And when we see it, name it gently, and hold space for it, we build trust.

Supporting emotional development in autistic people isn't about forcing language — it’s about offering safety, patience, and respect for the ways emotion lives in the body. When we meet them there, we say: “You don’t have to explain yourself to be understood.” And that is one of the most powerful gifts we can give.

Helping the Child Notice Feelings Through Bodily Sensations

Teaching an autistic child to notice their feelings through bodily sensations is a gentle, empowering practice. For many, the body feels the emotion before the mind can name it. Helping a child tune into those physical signals builds a bridge between experience and understanding.

We might begin by slowing down and inviting awareness: “What do you feel in your body right now?” Not “Are you angry?” — but “Is your chest tight?”, “Are your hands hot?”, “Do your legs want to move?” These are not yes-or-no questions — they are invitations to get curious about the inner landscape.

You can turn this into a daily check-in, using simple drawings or body outlines where the child can color in areas of tension, warmth, butterflies, or heaviness. Over time, this creates an internal map — “When my stomach feels tight, it usually means I’m nervous”. This kind of learning is slow, personal, and powerful.

Most importantly, this practice teaches the child that their body is important, a source of important information. They begin to trust their own signals, instead of being told how they “should” feel. And in that trust, they find agency — the beginning of emotional awareness and, eventually, emotional freedom.