When you think of a typical primary school classroom, what comes to mind? Most likely it’s a brightly lit, stimulating space full of colour and sound – all designed to engage curious young minds. However, for an autistic child, an environment like this can be overwhelming. Even the day-to-day sensory information we routinely process, such as cooking smells wafting in through the window, or the mains hum of a charging laptop can provoke sensory overload, which causes stress, anxiety and possibly physical pain for an autistic person.
Some autistic children learn to hide the fact they are uncomfortable in the classroom, but the National Autistic Society suggests the long-term effects of masking or camouflaging one’s autistic traits can be damaging to mental health. That’s why it’s important for primary schools to break the patterns of masking behaviour early in a child’s life.
A whole-school approach is a good way to encourage neurotypical pupils to accept that their autistic classmates have different needs. Part of our curriculum is called ‘why it’s good to be me’ where children discuss what is special about themselves and others. This has helped in situations where our autistic pupils ‘stim’. Stimming is one of the diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder, and is described as ‘stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech’. Children use movements like tapping, rocking or vocalisations to regulate their emotions. It is an essential coping mechanism for some children, but can sometimes draw unwanted attention. By explaining to the class that stimming is a natural part of being autistic, we help all children recognise and accept this behaviour without judgment.
