Dialled Up to Eleven - autistic sensory issues in school.

Hello. Here follows a list of potential sensory hazards for children in schools. Share if you can, as it's usually a pretty straightforward thing to make environments more autistic-friendly. #Autism #ukedchat /1

 1. The school bell. If it's not needed, lose it. If it is needed, make sure *all* autistic students (and staff!) are made aware of any changes to the routine. Allow students to wear ear defenders if they need to. /2

2. Glaring strip lighting. Classrooms are dreadful for this. Where affordable and possible, get diffusers over them all! Alternatively, use natural light as much as possible. If you have a malfunctioning light, flickering away, prioritise getting it fixed and leave it off. /3

 3. Scratchy school uniforms. Cheap shirts and blazers can irritate terribly, and obviously most families have to go the cheap option. Clothes irritation for #autistic students can be awful and be really distracting. If you can be at all flexible with uniform, be so here. /4

 4. Noisy classrooms. Easy one this! Only joking. But a calm quiet classroom is heaven for a lot of autistic children as otherwise they're liable to be overwhelmed by the different voices that they can't ignore. I hear every conversation in class, which is why I'm so strict!

 5. Smells. The pungency of the DT corridor or a Science room with odd experiments underway could tip an #autistic student over the edge on a bad day. God, MDF stinks. I used to *hate* the Design Technology dept as a kid for this reason.

6. Dirty hands. Activities that involve getting mucky hands, like painting, glueing, cooking etc can be bad for #autistic students who hate getting their hands dirty. This is just something to be aware of, really. be gentle and understanding. /7

7. Busy slides - too much on the board! If you use PowerPoint, please keep slides sensible and minimalist with a clear 'structure' for the eye to follow. Don't be surprised if your #autistic student gets frustrated if you'd board looks like a teenager's bedroom wall! /8

8. Assembly. Being compelled to sit very closely with peers can be distressing for some #autistic students. The proximity and feeling of claustrophobia can be too much to bear. Encourage, where possible, autistic students to sit where there's more space. /9

 9. Smells in the classroom. This is sensitive, but I've seen #autistic children *really* struggle with kids who have begun to get a bit of an odour. Be mindful. Also, diffusers and scents in a classroom? Best not to use them, unless you had terribly stinky feet or summat. /10

10. Temperature. #autistic people are often sensitive to temperature and have a much narrower range of tolerable temp than neurotypical peeps. Don't whack the heating right up until everyone is sweating and have some windows open! /11

11. Classroom displays. Avoid things dangling from the ceiling, and keep things simple and clearly delineated on the walls (clear areas for decoration, other empty
zones). /12

12. Lunchtime. It's noisy, unstructured, smelly and messy. Some #autistic children struggle, plus there are potential serious considerations about food - not knowing what's on the menu, getting something unexpected in their lunchbox. Be kind and
accommodating. /13

13. Shouting. Sometimes teachers shout at students. It's probably not the most effective management technique but it happens. But it's never going to be effective with an #autistic student. I remember being close to tears when any teacher ever shouted at school.  It might alienate or permanently damage relationships with the student. The loudness and suddenness of shouting can be terrifying for #autistic
students and this has to be considered if behaviour is an issue. /15

15. Movie lessons. They happen, either in support of a topic or at the very end of term
(controversial!) but they can be nightmarish for #autistic students. Change of routine, loud noise and music, kids not as monitored as usual - potential massive problems. Be aware. /16

16. Toilets. Yes. The loo at school, especially for girls it seems, can be a horrifying space of cramped, cliquey bullying so it's often the case that #autistic students will ask to use the loo during lessons, when it's quieter. May double as a retreat to prevent meltdown. /17

17. School bus, especially on trips. They can get very noisy indeed, so be prepared to allow for noise cancelling headphones to be used by #autistic children; actively encouraged it, in fact. /18

18. On the trip itself, make sure you always have at least one, ideally two teachers at a
predetermined 'base camp' if you're letting kids roam. #autistic children will appreciate the security of knowing you're there and will probably make use of it to wind down. /19

19. Parents Evenings. These days these seem to be huge collective affairs with everyone in a huge room shouting over the general din. Needless to say, autistic
students (and parents! Never forget us old autistics) are likely to *hate* this and may avoid. Offer an alternative! /20

20. Drama and PE. This isn't a blanket thing, but some #autistic students will find
these subjects challenging due to lack of structure at times and noise.

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