Sensory processing

Difficulty regulating sensory input. Common in autistic children and frequently mistaken for behaviour.

What it is

Sensory processing differences mean sensory input — noise, light, touch, smell, movement, internal signals — is registered too strongly, too weakly, or inconsistently.

Where it applies

Any child, and very commonly autistic children and those with other neurodevelopmental conditions.

How it works

A child who is over-responsive may find a dining hall genuinely painful; one who is under-responsive may seek movement constantly. Both look like behaviour and are not.

Support is environmental first: reducing input, offering regulation opportunities, and giving somewhere to go.

What you can ask for

Ask for a sensory audit of the environment — the hall, the corridors between lessons, the lighting, the uniform fabric.

Ask for specific adjustments: ear defenders, a quiet space, leaving lessons two minutes early, an alternative to assembly, an adapted uniform. These are reasonable adjustments.

Ask that sensory-driven behaviour is not sanctioned under the behaviour policy without adjustment.

Where to get help

The National Autistic Society, and occupational therapy for assessment. SENDIASS for free local advice, and IPSEA or Contact nationally.