Interoception and pediatric occupational therapy practice: a protocol for a scoping review

Introduction: Interoception is relatively new within pediatric occupational therapy practice. Interoception allows us to feel and interpret internal body sensations and is related to our ability to regulate emotions and behavior. It is associated with other functions including sensory processing, self-regulation and executive functioning, making it important for everyday participation in life activities. Pediatric occupational therapists are considering interoception as part of intervention but there is limited research to understand how and why occupational therapists use interoception in clinical practice. Objectives: The aim of this protocol is to describe the methodology and analyses to be used to undertake a scoping review. Method: This paper presents the protocol for a scoping review. A search of literature from ten electronic databases (Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Ovid PsycINFO, ERIC, Scopus, CINAHL, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, AMED, OTDBASE and Google Scholar), grey literature and article reference searching was conducted. Title and abstract screening was completed before full-text review. Selected articles met stringent inclusion criteria. The PRISMA-ScR Checklist was used alongside the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool to ensure robust data extraction and synthesis from selected studies. Results: A total of 2449 articles were retrieved. Eighteen articles were included in the review. A narrative synthesis approach will be used to synthesise data. Conclusion: Findings from this scoping review will inform future research related to interoception and pediatric occupational therapy practice to support clinicians to consider evidence to underpin practice.