{"id":2883,"date":"2026-02-11T08:41:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T08:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/iprblog\/?p=2883"},"modified":"2026-02-13T11:23:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T11:23:12","slug":"schools-arent-designed-for-autistic-children-these-are-the-sensory-challenges-they-face","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/iprblog\/2026\/02\/11\/schools-arent-designed-for-autistic-children-these-are-the-sensory-challenges-they-face\/","title":{"rendered":"Schools aren\u2019t designed for autistic children \u2013 these are the sensory challenges they face"},"content":{"rendered":"

Education systems have often been designed for neurotypical learners, leaving many autistic children overwhelmed in school environments that fail to meet their sensory needs. Keren MacLennan<\/a>, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Bath, outlines which types of sensory information autistic children are more likely to find distressing, and how these challenges can be better supported.<\/em><\/p>\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a>\u00a0under a Creative Commons license. Read the\u00a0original article here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the academic year so far, the proportion of children who are \u201cpersistently absent\u201d from schools in England \u2013 missing at least 10% of school sessions \u2013 stands at 19.5%. This is up from last year \u2013 and significantly higher than the 10.5% who were persistently absent before the pandemic.<\/p>\n

The UK government\u2019s\u00a0\u201cback to school\u201d call<\/a>\u00a0in 2025 proposed a crackdown on \u201cbad behaviour\u201d to address this issue and get children back into classrooms. But a focus on bad behaviour may be missing the mark.\u00a0Research<\/a>\u00a0suggests 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Up to 94% of autistic people have\u00a0divergent sensory processing<\/a>. This means that sensory information, such as loud sounds, bright lights and strong scents, can be distressing and overwhelming. In busy classrooms, dining halls and playgrounds, children are exposed to an onslaught of unpredictable and inescapable sensory information that becomes overwhelming across the day. This has been reported as a key reason autistic children experience\u00a0distress and anxiety in school<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here are the types of sensory information that autistic children tend to find more distressing, as well as some ways to support these challenges.<\/p>\n

Sounds<\/h2>\n

Sudden and loud sounds, as well as environments with\u00a0layers of different background noise<\/a>, are commonly distressing for autistic people. Classrooms, dining halls and playgrounds have complex soundscapes with lots of chatter and noise from chairs and objects being moved about. There are also sudden sounds that can startle autistic children. These can include school bells, doors banging or teachers raising their voice or clapping to get the attention of pupils.<\/p>\n

In research<\/a>\u00a0my colleagues and I carried out, autistic people, parents and teachers reported loud classrooms as the top contributor to school anxiety. But even in a quiet classroom, autistic children may struggle to filter out more subtle sounds, such as the buzzing from lights, clocks ticking, pens tapping and people whispering. These can also affect an autistic child\u2019s ability to\u00a0focus on their work<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Allowing children to listen to music with noise-cancelling headphones, use ear defenders or plugs, or sit somewhere quiet if the noise becomes overwhelming can help address these challenges.<\/p>\n

Sights<\/h2>\n

Bright lighting<\/a>, especially if it is artificial or fluorescent, can cause distress for autistic people. Classrooms and dining halls often have bright overhead lighting and children do not have the control to lower the lighting levels. Classroom walls are also often covered with busy display boards. This can\u00a0cause distraction<\/a>\u00a0for all children, but especially autistic children.<\/p>\n

This could be mitigated by allowing children to wear tinted glasses or to sit away from direct sunlight or bright overhead lighting.<\/p>\n

Smells<\/h2>\n

Many autistic people can struggle with strong\u00a0food smells<\/a>, as well as cleaning products and perfumes. In schools, children can be exposed to food smells from canteens and packed lunches. There may also be a range of smells arising from peers and teachers, such as perfumes, coffee or body odour.<\/p>\n

Having the option of a place to eat away from the canteen or large groups of other children could help autistic children cope with this.<\/p>\n

Touch<\/h2>\n

Scratchy clothing fabrics<\/a>\u00a0and clothing labels are challenging for many autistic people. Mandatory school uniforms can cause distress for autistic children. They have limited choice in fabric and styles. Some elements of the uniform, such as blazers or school ties, may come with no choice at all.<\/p>\n

Allowing some flexibility over clothing choices and cutting labels out of clothes could help here.<\/p>\n

Making sensory-inclusive schools<\/h2>\n

Beyond individual support strategies, a range of steps can help make schools more sensory-inclusive. Providing flexible access to low-sensory spaces, such as rooms or dens, allows children to\u00a0take breaks to recover<\/a>\u00a0from sensory information when they feel overwhelmed. In an ideal world, lighting and sound absorption would be improved, but at the very least\u00a0sensory-inclusive design<\/a>\u00a0should be considered when new schools are being built.<\/p>\n

There is also still widespread misunderstanding of autism and sensory challenges in schools.\u00a0Richard Tice<\/a>, deputy leader of Reform UK, declared in November 2025 that children wearing ear defenders in a classroom is \u201cinsane\u201d and has \u201cgot to stop\u201d. But these sensory aids are essential for some children to attend school. Implementing evidence-based training for\u00a0school staff<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0pupils<\/a>\u00a0on neurodiversity and autism, as well as training on\u00a0sensory-inclusive spaces<\/a>, can increase understanding and acceptance.<\/p>\n

Importantly, this issue spreads beyond our schools. Many\u00a0spaces in our communities<\/a>\u00a0pose sensory challenges \u2013 creating barriers to vital services and\u00a0affecting mental health<\/a>. The sensory environment affects everyone, so by making spaces more sensory-inclusive for autistic people, we may also make spaces better for all.<\/p>\n

All articles posted on this blog give the views of the author(s), and not the position of the IPR, nor of the University of Bath.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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