Additional support for learning: sensory-inclusive learning environments - guidance

2. Introduction

This guide aims to raise awareness of the sensory variation among individuals and how nursery and school age learning and teaching experiences can be impacted by physical environments. It is a short, non-technical resource designed for any learning environment including satellite/hub settings or any out of school informal settings, and schools of all sizes and age groups. Intended readers include:

• Educators and support staff;
• Designers of new and existing buildings and external learning spaces;
• Estates/Facilities Management who maintain and operate learning environments;
• Local Authorities responsible for early years settings and schools;
• Children and young people (or their representatives) wherever learning takes place;
• Parents/carers of children and young people.

While the focus of this guide is on the teaching and learning experience for education purposes, many schools and learning environments are used as a community resource too. Creating a neuro-affirmative and sensory-inclusive learning environment will also enhance the experience for wider uses by members of the public using the space for community, sport and leisure activities.

The physical environment is impactful in every way - dysregulation is often linked to the sounds, lights, patterns and smells in the physical environment.”

A thoughtfully designed and managed environment can support excellent learning, teaching and engagement. Conversely, a lack of awareness and consideration for sensory differences and disabilities can result in environments that contribute to:

• Lower participation;
• Reduced achievement;
• Higher absence;
• Increased anxiety;
• Poorer mental health outcomes;
• Gaps in learning;
• Increased avoidance and absence;
• Inability to self-regulate (dysregulation).

Places where learning happens, wherever that may be, should provide a safe sanctuary for teaching, learning, development and social integration, where staff and learners can be comfortable and able to thrive. A “one size fits all” approach is not the solution, but with understanding, flexibility and planning, spaces can be created that will work better for everyone.

The challenges experienced by people with sensory differences or disabilities cannot be addressed purely through changes to the built environment. There will always be the need for learning activities to be planned considering the characteristics of the available learning environment and this requires awareness, communication, empathy and appropriate support arrangements based on person-centric evidence.

2.1 Scope of guide

This guide does not attempt to define specific conditions and associated symptoms or challenges; it takes a broad, pragmatic approach to the information and sensory processing differences severely impacting many people every day.

The design and operation of the places where we learn can make the difference as to whether some learners feel able to attend and participate fully or not. This guide therefore aims to increase awareness of how some people can experience environments with intensity and suggests “sensory adaptations and accommodations” to physical environments and activities to allow everyone to thrive.

2.2 Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is the natural and normal genetic variation in brain types or profiles across the human population. Neurodiversity recognises the variety of ways in which individuals interact with and process sensory information, experience places and communicate with others. As explained in BSI PAS6463 2022, such differences can be broadly grouped as:

“a) neurotypical - someone fitting a majority neurological profile;

b) neurodivergent - someone outside the majority neurological profile (commonly associated with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and Tourette’s syndrome – but there is no definitive list of conditions associated with neurodivergence); and

c) neurodegenerative (whereby sensory processing differences develop over time through brain diseases, such as different forms of dementia or Parkinson’s)”.

A significant proportion of people who are neurodivergent or neurodegenerative experience information and sensory processing differences which can lead to challenges in some environments.

Sensory difference describes the way the body communicates sensations to the brain, creating a variation in how individuals experience and process sensory information compared to the perceived societal norm. This may include sensory experiences that are:

• Hypersensitive - stronger reactions resulting in over-stimulation;
• Hyposensitive – lower reactions resulting in under-stimulation.

People can be hyper or hyposensitive to one or many aspects, or may experience a mix of hyper and hypo sensory differences which can vary in intensity, particularly when feeling stressed or anxious. Sensory experiences may affect any of the senses, including:

• Visual (sight);
• Auditory (hearing);
• Tactile (touch);
• Olfactory (smell, hyperosmia);
• Gustatory (taste);
• Vestibular (balance and spatial orientation);
• Proprioceptive (movement, proximity, coordination);
• Interoceptive (hunger, thirst, tiredness, pain, temperature).

Over-stimulation is often cumulative, from multiple factors in the environment, such as a combination of noise, and light intensity (but can also occur from a single intense source).

2.3 Other sensory differences

Although some 70% of neurodivergent people are believed to experience hypersensitivity through one or more of the senses, such sensory differences can be experienced for a very wide range of reasons, including:

• Sight loss – people can be affected by too much lighting or glare due to low vision due to a sight loss condition;
• D/deaf people can experience hypersensitivity as well as different degrees of hearing loss or difference and may include intermittent symptoms such as tinnitus, difficulty with balance. Some people may have a temporary inability to hear due to conditions such as Labyrinthitis or Glue Ear.

Sensory differences and disabilities can be present from birth, but can also be dynamic and change over time, through acquired differences throughout life. Experience can be influenced by a range of circumstances including trauma, injury or stress, as well as hormonal changes, particularly in girls and women (e.g. puberty, periods, pregnancy and menopause). General health issues like having an injury or infection can also alter sensory experience, such as hearing loss, tinnitus, increased sensitivity to light, reduced sense of smell and taste or dizziness.

In addition, there are age-related degenerative medical conditions affecting adults who may be using the facilities, such as family members, teaching staff, volunteers and external support providers. These challenges do not sit in silos but impact one another and can affect overall wellbeing and resilience.

2.4 Living with sensory differences and disabilities

In addition to sight and hearing loss and sensory processing differences, there are also behavioural, communication and memory differences that may be experienced such as:

• Challenges with understanding numbers, words or graphic symbols;
• Stronger or weaker sensations of pain or temperature (weaker sensations can result in failure or delay in recognising these until extreme);
• Stronger or weaker sensations of bodily needs such as thirst, hunger or needing the toilet (weaker sensations can result in failure or delay in recognising these until extreme);
• Differences in perception of danger;
• Difficulty in judging physical position in a space and proximity to objects or people;
• Easy distraction or deeply focused attention span;
• Difficulties with orientation, wayfinding and navigation;
• Not being able to determine if you are hot or cold making clothing choices difficult;
• Masking (particularly girls), hiding or suppressing neurological differences.

Due to these experiences, feelings may be described as intense frustration, irritability, anger or sadness, sometimes to a state of complete overwhelm and/or loss of emotional control. This is called dysregulation (or emotional dysregulation). The impact can be so significant and overwhelming that the individual may, if they do not have a “flight”, option, have a “fight” or “freeze” reaction. These are often referred to as a “melt-down” or “shut down” respectively. Such overwhelming reactions are deeply distressing for the individual and can also be disruptive or upsetting to others. The physical learning environment can easily contribute to this, creating a perceived “bombardment” on the senses, for example simultaneously being too bright, noisy and busy. It is important to see sensory differences and the potential impacts through a broad lens and to acknowledge that a holistic approach is always needed.

A melt down is a “fight” response and may appear similar to a tantrum in a very young child, but it is not about wanting a specific item and is completely beyond the individual’s control. It is triggered by anxiety from an overwhelming situation, which could be a sensory or social situation. Meltdowns can happen at any age and are often slow to end.

A shut down is a “freeze” response, when an individual is often unable to communicate and may withdraw completely for a while or experience situational mutism. It is triggered by anxiety from an overwhelming situation, which could be a sensory or social situation. Shut downs can be misinterpreted as sulking or rudeness but the individual is not in control, it is an instinctive reaction.

2.5 Age related differences

In addition to sensory and information processing differences, there will also be changes in structure and learning style related to age. There is likely to be a mix of individual and group activities as children progress, moving from play-based learning to developing skills, greater independence and autonomy, allowing them to choose how to socialise or manage any environmental impacts at secondary level. The impact of the physical environment can be greater where self-advocacy, communication and management is not at the individual’s disposal, or they are unlikely to have the level of understanding of why they are reacting. The static class groups and close teacher contact structure of primary age learning is typically replaced by a more varied and dynamic experience at secondary level, which can bring additional stress and anxiety for older learners. Adjustments and accommodations therefore need to consider age related challenges.

2.6 Sensory experience and physical learning environments

When interacting with the environment, sensory differences can affect how a space is interpreted and enjoyed. The characteristics of the space will influence experiences, as will the types of activities undertaken. The range of variation is vast, but a few examples which can cause distraction, anxiety or overwhelm include:

• Fixating on repetition of patterns e.g. lines on carpets or ceiling grids;
• Nausea and visual disturbance caused by busy patterns;
• Disorientation and glare from strong light and shade patterns like slatted blinds;
• The feel of surfaces that give an enduring sense of touch that can last all day (such as dimpled laminate desktops);
• Soft repetitive sounds, like a ticking clock or someone chewing which can significantly distract attention;
• Sudden loud sounds;
• Shadows on floors perceived as barriers or holes;
• The smell of people, clothes, food, chemicals, plants which can feel overpowering;
• Proximity and unpredictability of congested spaces.

2.7 Sensory inclusion champions

Identifying people in a school or learning community (staff, children, young people, parents, carers) with awareness, drive and empathy to champion sensory inclusion is helpful. Champions should be passionate about sensory inclusion as well as having a broad understanding of everyday challenges experienced by people with sight, hearing, neurodivergence and related sensory differences or disabilities. Champions do not need to have a high level of technical competence but should be comfortable and confident to influence others and raise awareness.

Champions may be helpful in generating a map of where sensory stimulation and overload is likely and where quiet and calm spaces can be found can be a helpful tool. Involving children and young people in conducting a sensory audit of the learning environment could increase awareness of individual differences people experience and the characteristics of the spaces available. For learners whose needs are often misinterpreted by others, this is especially important. Findings can be presented in sensory maps using thoughtfully selected visual symbols, tactile and audio, so that children with sight or hearing loss or hypersensitivity have the opportunity to be forewarned about an environment where possible.

2.8 Consultation and engagement:

Regular engagement with users of learning spaces is critical for ensuring that the environment continues to meet a variety of needs over time. From formal Post Occupancy Evaluations at the start of occupation, to regular pulse checks and collecting feedback in different ways, user feedback is critical to a successful outcome.

Resources:

Deeper, technical content on buildings, places and spaces is available in the free to download, PAS 6463 “Design for the Mind – Neurodiversity and the Built Environment” guidance published in 2022 by the British Standards Institute. PAS 6463 was developed with a UK steering group of experts and subjected to extensive public consultation, however it is aimed at all buildings and therefore lacks specific examples from learning environments. The PAS is intended to be a technical guide, whereas this publication has easier to digest content specific to the places where learning happens, and provides a segway to the content in PAS6463 when further technical detail is needed.^[1]

General guidance on designing for sight and hearing loss can be found in:

BS8300 parts 1 and 2 2018

The RIBA inclusive design overlay provides more information on the broader role of a wider access and inclusion champion appropriate for larger build projects and the way inclusive design should be considered at all stages of a project.

Guidance on designing for people with sensory differences through sight or hearing loss is included in national regulations and BS8300 Codes of Practice, plus publications by the RNIB and RNID and other sight and hearing loss charities. Very recent good practice spatial and inclusion guidance can be found in the freely available Accessible and Inclusive sports facilities guidance 2024 by Sport England.

Comprehensive guidance on Stakeholder engagement can be found in Sport England’s AISF Part G “Consultation and Engagement.”