Mindfulness-Based practices have been shown to increase one’s interoceptive abilities, present-moment awareness, and ability to regulate emotions (Simione et al., 2024). These are aspects that autistic people tend to have challenges with. Often, mindfulness and meditation practices focus on breath or other somatic sensations, and while useful, this can pose a challenge for autistic people who struggle with interoception, so by modifying practices to meet an individual where they are at, through time, autistic folks can reap the benefits that mindfulness can provide. Some examples of increasing accessibility for mindfulness-based practices include: the focus of the practice being an external source, titration, and incorporating everyday mindfulness.
“Mindfulness meditation…involves the cultivation of focused-attention to present-moment experience in a non-judgmental and non-reactive manner,” (Simione et al., 2024, p.1). Mindfulness centers around increasing awareness of the present moment and meeting that present moment through a lens of curiosity (Simione et al., 2024). The sensations and thoughts are not seen as something to be fixed, rather they are seen as something to accept in the present moment because then the individual has the autonomy and power to uncover what is needed to resolve the sensations and thoughts (Kornfield, 1993). Mindfulness is only one piece in supporting autistic individuals. The impact of challenges autistic people navigate varies widely amongst the autistic population, from folks with low support needs to those with high support needs. Mindfulness cannot reasonably address all the needs of all autistic people; however, it can add one level of support in conjunction with other supports (e.g., various types of therapies, systemic changes, accommodations, etc.).
When adapted for an individual’s needs, mindfulness-based practices can address interoception, present-moment awareness, and emotion regulation (Simione et al., 2024). Interoception is described as “…the perception of bodily signals…” and is “central for maintaining physiological states,” (Klein et al., 2025, p 2). Due to the co-occurrence of approximately 50% with alexithymia, this can prove to be a challenging barrier to incorporating mindfulness with autistic folks (Klein et al., 2025). Through increasing interoceptive abilities and present-moment awareness, autistic individuals can increase capacity for emotion regulation (Simione et al., 2024). This is done through recognizing in real time what sensations one is experiencing, accepting the present for what it is rather than trying to change it, attuning to the underlying need, and attempting to meet the need. Mindfulness is an ongoing practice where exploration is the goal, rather than perfection— “It is from ‘difficulties, mistakes, and errors’ that we actually learn,” (Kornfield, 1993, p. 72).
Examples of Accessible Mindfulness Practices
The following mindfulness-based practices are potentially accessible examples. Again, what is accessible for one autistic individual may not be accessible for another. It is important to consider individual needs and to modify practices while keeping the core elements of mindfulness: “…awareness of present-moment experiences…” and “fostering acceptance and curiosity towards the content of these experiences,” (Simione et al., 2024, p.1).
External Source as the Focus
This practice is adapted from Sonny Jane Wise’s work in their text “The Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills” (2022). For this practice, one uses an external source as the focus (i.e. anchor) of their awareness during the mindfulness meditation. This practice can be done in any comfortable position and with eyes open in a soft gaze towards the anchor or closed. The practice begins by exploring the anchor. This can be done through as many or as few senses as the individual can tolerate. The goal is not sensory overwhelm, but to explore the anchor through as many senses as possible, such as sight, sound, touch, temperature, texture, etc. If particular senses cause overstimulation, then that sense can be skipped to start. It can also be important to select an anchor that causes as little sensory overwhelm as possible (e.g. fidget toy, a painting, a weighted blanket, music, etc.). Through exploration, the individual will begin incorporating the naming of emotions, thoughts, sensations, and imagery that become present. There is no right or wrong answer; the goal is to name anything that is present while anchoring on the external source. The experience of exploration and noticing present moment sensations will begin to be separated by focusing on one or the other. For example, the individual will spend a moment focused on the anchor, then focus their awareness on their emotions, sensations, thoughts, and/or images that come to mind. This is an example of titration (further defined below). This practice can be as short as a few minutes up to as long as the individual wants and needs. This practice allows autistic folks to begin to build their interoception and present-moment awareness by naming emotions, sensations, and thoughts as they happen in real time.
Titration
Titration is defined as, “a method or process of determining the concentration…in terms of the smallest amount of…known concentration required to bring about a given effect in reaction…” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Titration is useful in mindfulness-based practices because, as shown in the previous example, it allows autistic people the time and space to slowly increase their tolerance for interoception and present-moment awareness, ideally without overwhelm leading to overstimulation, shutdown, and/or meltdown.
Everyday Mindfulness
There are many ways to incorporate mindfulness into our everyday lives. This can be through chores, walking, cooking, and any other everyday activity that feels accessible. Every day mindfulness focuses on the same principles, noticing and accepting. This can involve verbal narration of tasks through first-person language. For example, if someone is cleaning their dishes, they may narrate as they clean (e.g., “I am scrubbing this pan with soap”). This allows more awareness of the present moment through explicitly naming what is occurring. Again, this is the practice of noticing and accepting. As one becomes more comfortable with noticing the present moment, they can begin to add in the interoceptive qualities. For example, if someone is feeling fatigued as they clean their dishes, they may add, “I am scrubbing this pan with soap, and my body feels heavy and tired.” This example adds in acceptance as well, though not attempting to change the sensation they are noticing. The need for rest may be met naturally once the dishes are complete, or they may have a separate need to meet, and they will be able to utilize mindfulness to explore that more deeply.
These are a couple of examples of how autistic individuals and providers working with autistic folks can begin to make mindfulness-based practices more accessible. Again, accessibility is not one size fits all, and it is imperative to adjust practices to meet the needs of an individual. Through the focus of increasing interoception and present-moment awareness to build capacity for emotion regulation, autistic folks can potentially improve their well-being and lead more fulfilling lives (Simione et al., 2024).
Britt Albanese, MA, CPC-I, LPCC (they/them), is a Clinical Professional Counselor Intern. To contact the author, email britt.albanese@protonmail.com.
References
Jane Wise, S. (2022). The neurodivergent friendly workbook of DBT skills. Sonny Jane Wise.
Klein, M., Witthöft, M., & Jungmann, S. M. (2025). Interoception in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1-17. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1573263
Kornfield, J. (1993). A path with heart: A guide through the perils and promises of spiritual life. Bantam Books.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Definition. Merriam-Webster. www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/titration
Simione, L., Frolli, A., Sciattella, F., Gaetano Chilarella, S. (2024). Mindfulness-based interventions for people with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic literature review. Brain Sciences, 14(1001), 1-19. doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14101001
