All posts tagged: Sensory

Schools aren’t designed for autistic children – these are the sensory challenges they face

Schools aren’t designed for autistic children – these are the sensory challenges they face

Published by skeptic

In the academic year so far, the proportion of children who are “persistently absent” from schools in England – missing at least 10% of school sessions – stands at 19.5%. This is up from last year – and significantly higher than the 10.5% who were persistently absent before the pandemic. The UK government’s “back to school” call in 2025 proposed a crackdown on “bad behaviour” to address this issue and get children back into classrooms. But a focus on bad behaviour may be missing the mark. Research suggests that in the majority of cases, school absence is underpinned by severe school distress and anxiety. Even more alarming is that many of these children are autistic. Our schools and education system have not been designed for autistic children, who have neurological or thinking styles that diverge from what society sees as typical. Up to 94% of autistic people have divergent sensory processing. This means that sensory information, such as loud sounds, bright lights and strong scents, can be distressing and overwhelming. In busy classrooms, dining halls …

Why Sensory Relief Isn’t Just About Quiet

Why Sensory Relief Isn’t Just About Quiet

Published by Jenni Sidey

In a waiting room, there’s nowhere to go. I’m mentally tapping an impatient foot. The room is quiet. Too quiet. Every small sound—a paper rustle, a cough down the hall—stands out. It’s the loud sound of silence. Time stretches. I’m listening for my name, or for something to change, and nothing does. That kind of quiet can feel harder than walking down a busy sidewalk. On the sidewalk, there’s noise and movement, but there’s also direction. I’m moving toward something. The sounds pass by and fade. My body falls into rhythm without effort. At first glance, this doesn’t make much sense. We’re used to thinking that less noise and less movement should feel more calming. But sensory comfort isn’t just about how much stimulation there is. It’s about whether the nervous system can stay oriented. Neuroscience offers a useful way to think about this—not in terms of volume, but in terms of coherence. The brain is constantly trying to answer a simple question: What’s happening next? In the waiting room, that question hangs unanswered. On …