Sensory Help Now

Keeping your child’s school informed about their sensory needs is really important in helping ensure consistent support. Here is a guide on how to advocate for your child’s sensory needs at school. 

Introduction

School can be a challenging environment for children, especially those with sensory processing differences and additional needs. From noisy classrooms to uncomfortable uniforms, or activities that are challenging for children with gross and fine motor difficulties, the school day can be overwhelming. 

Whilst there are many things that you can do at home to prepare your child for school (take a look at our Back to School Sensory Survival Kit), you don’t have control over what happens during the school day. In order for the school to be able to make changes to better meet your child’s sensory needs, they first need to understand how sensory processing can affect behaviour and participation in school activities. That’s where building a good relationship with your child’s school and helping them to understand your child’s sensory needs is really important.

Create a Sensory Profile for Your Child

The ideal way to create a sensory profile for your child is in liaison with a sensory integration trained therapist. However, as a parent, you will have a good idea of where to start. 

• Make a list of your child's sensory needs and behaviours before meeting with the school. 
• Include how these needs affect their ability to perform tasks and stay regulated (stay in the right mood for completing the task, whether that’s calm and focused or energised). 
• Concrete examples can help teachers and other staff understand the importance of addressing sensory needs. For example:
  • A child who constantly gets up to move might not be disruptive but has underlying sensory differences which cause them to seek out movement. Providing regular opportunities for movement will help.
  • Another child might avoid certain activities as they are over-responsive to sensory input (perhaps the feeling of modelling clay on their hands), and their refusal could be misread. Alternative activities or adaptive equipment can help here. 
  • A child unable to follow a verbal list of instructions could constantly told to ‘listen better’ when they actually need instructions broken down into small, sequenced steps and provided visually. 
• Provide specific examples of how sensory challenges impact your child's ability to function across different school environments and circumstances, including the classroom, the school dining room, during assembly, PE lessons, breaktimes, after-school clubs, etc.
• Include details of what helps your child at home, for example, wearing earplugs in noisy environments, using fidget toys to help focus, being allowed to move around etc. You could ask your child what they would feel comfortable doing at school, as they may not want to use some techniques that work at home (eg a weighted soft toy) for fear of not ‘fitting in’. 
• You can get some more ideas from our sensory integration trained therapists via the Sensory Help Now forum. 

Inform the School

• Start by informing your child's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) or teacher about your child's sensory needs. 
• We suggest doing this in writing and asking to meet the school’s SENCo) to discuss your letter/email. It’s a good idea to keep copies of all correspondence and to make written notes of meetings, including what action was agreed upon. A friendly, calm and collaborative approach goes a long way.
• Agree action: Discuss how you and your child feel the school can make changes to better fit your child’s sensory profile. Ask the school to come up with some solutions too. You may need to help the school understand more about how unmet sensory needs show up as unhelpful behaviour in school (see below). Ensure that any agreed solutions and actions are written down, alongside who is responsible for putting these in place and by when.
• Discuss adaptive equipment: Talk to the school about any adaptive equipment your child may require, such as pencil grips or wobble cushions. Determine if this equipment should also be used at home to ensure consistency in support.

Help the School Understand Sensory Processing

Over a third of UK adults have never even heard of sensory integration and processing, so there may be a need to help your child’s school understand the term and, crucially, what sensory processing differences can look like in schools. 

• Share this free guide with your child’s SENCo and teacher: Sensory-Based Behaviour in the Classroom: A Guide for Schools.

Once school staff are able to identify behaviours that have a sensory basis, they will be better able to support children because required adaptations will make sense, and they will be able to see the results for themselves. A greater understanding of challenges arising from sensory processing differences will also help schools work with healthcare professionals, such as Occupational Therapists and Speech & Language Therapists, to implement recommendations. 

Sensory Inclusive Schools

Some schools might have limited access to experts in sensory integration who can make relevant recommendations for children with sensory processing differences. Sensory Inclusive Schools is a new service that helps educational settings create environments and curriculums that support all students' unique sensory profiles. If your school is affected by long waiting lists for therapy support, share this resource with them: www.sensoryinclusiveschools.org. 

Follow Up and Maintain Contact

• Stay engaged with your child's school by maintaining regular contact and following up on accommodations. 
• Check-in periodically to see how the implemented strategies are working for your child. Ask for feedback from teachers and the SENCo. Offer your own feedback, too, so that accommodations which are working can be continued.
• Talk to your child and observe their behaviour at home to assess if the accommodations are making a positive difference. 
• If you notice any challenges or areas for improvement, don't hesitate to discuss alternative solutions with the school. 

By staying proactive and involved, you can help ensure that your child's sensory needs are effectively addressed in the school environment.

Conclusion

By advocating for your child's sensory needs and working collaboratively with the school, you can help transform their school experience.