🔊 11. Sensory Sensitivities

When teachers see a student cover their ears, pull at their clothes, squint under classroom lights, avoid touching materials, react strongly to smells, or suddenly shut down in noisy situations, the common responses are:

  • “They’re overreacting.”
  • “They’re too sensitive.”
  • “Everyone else is fine — what’s their problem?”
  • “They’re being dramatic.”
  • “They’re trying to avoid work.”

But for many neurodivergent students — autistic, ADHD, anxiety-sensitive, dyspraxic, or trauma-affected — sensory sensitivity is not a preference. It’s a neurological reality.

👉 Their nervous system takes in more sensory information than it can regulate.
What feels normal to others can feel painful, overwhelming, or frightening to them.

1. What “sensory sensitivities” actually mean

Neurodivergent sensory systems process input differently.
This can mean hyper-sensitivity (too much sensation) or hypo-sensitivity (too little), often fluctuating from day to day.

Common sensitivities include:

Sound

  • loud noises feel painful
  • sudden sounds cause panic
  • classroom chatter becomes overwhelming
  • humming lights or pencil tapping are unbearable

Light

  • bright lights cause headaches
  • fluorescent lights flicker visibly
  • difficulty reading under harsh lighting

Touch / Texture

  • itchy clothing, tags, seams
  • discomfort from chairs or desks
  • sensitivity to certain materials (paper, wipes, glue)

Smell

  • strong scents = nausea or headaches
    (cleaners, deodorants, perfumes, food smells)

Movement & Space

  • sensitivity to crowded rooms
  • discomfort when others stand too close
  • dizziness or imbalance

To a neurotypical student, these sensations are mild or invisible.
To a neurodivergent student, they can feel physically painful, overwhelming, or threatening.

2. What sensory overload looks like in the classroom

Teachers may notice:

  • covering ears
  • squinting or shielding eyes
  • freezing, shutting down, or zoning out
  • rocking, fidgeting, or pacing
  • refusing to enter loud rooms
  • irritability or sudden outbursts
  • avoiding group work
  • difficulty focusing in messy or noisy spaces
  • needing the window open or shut
  • becoming distressed during fire alarms, assemblies, or PE

A key point many teachers miss:

👉 Sensory overload looks like “misbehavior,” but it’s stress, not choice.

3. Why neurodivergent students react so strongly

Sensory input goes through the same parts of the brain that regulate:

  • emotions
  • attention
  • memory
  • movement
  • stress response

When the sensory load becomes too high, the brain shifts into survival mode.
This makes it almost impossible to focus on:

  • grammar
  • reading
  • listening
  • speaking
  • pair work
  • instructions
  • social interactions

The student isn’t “not trying.”
Their brain is simply prioritizing survival over learning.

4. Why ESL classrooms make sensory issues more intense

ESL lessons are full of sensory triggers:

Noise

  • listening tracks
  • classmates speaking at once
  • overlapping languages
  • group work
  • crowded rooms

Unexpected Sound

  • sudden speaking turns
  • teacher calling on them
  • loud pronunciation drills

Visual Load

  • busy worksheets
  • too much on the board
  • constant switching between screens and books

Touch

  • uncomfortable desks
  • holding materials they dislike
  • textures of classroom supplies

Smell

  • classroom food projects
  • perfume from students
  • cleaning products

When learning a new language and dealing with sensory overload, the student is using twice the mental energy of their peers.

This is why they may:

  • shut down
  • daydream
  • get irritated
  • become emotional
  • refuse certain activities
  • need breaks

It’s not avoidance — it’s regulation.

5. The biggest misconception: “They’re too sensitive; they need to toughen up.”

This is the most damaging assumption.
Sensory sensitivity is not caused by weakness or lack of resilience.

It is caused by:

  • different sensory wiring
  • lower neurological filtering
  • heightened threat response
  • differences in brain-to-body processing

Asking a neurodivergent student to “toughen up” is like telling a person with a migraine to ignore bright lights — impossible and unfair.

6. What NOT to do

Avoid these reactions:

❌ “Stop being dramatic.”
→ Invalidation increases distress.

❌ Forcing them to stay in overstimulating spaces
→ Can trigger meltdowns or shutdowns.

❌ Punishing “lack of focus”
→ The issue is sensory overload, not effort.

❌ Teasing or calling them “sensitive”
→ Causes shame and masking.

❌ Ignoring early signs of overwhelm
→ Leads to bigger reactions.

7. What teachers SHOULD do

Here are strategies that genuinely help:

âś” Create quiet corners

A place to step out of sensory overload.

âś” Let them use sensory supports

Ear defenders, headphones, hats, sunglasses, fidgets.

âś” Reduce noise where possible

Smaller groups, quiet instructions, visual cues.

âś” Warn them about upcoming sounds

“Volume warning — listening task starting.”

âś” Give alternatives during overload

A written task, a calmer activity, time to regulate.

âś” Offer predictable routines

Unpredictability amplifies sensory stress.

âś” Keep visuals clean

Less clutter on worksheets and board.

âś” Validate their experience

“You’re not imagining it — this noise really is overwhelming for some people.”

Validation reduces fear.

8. What sensory sensitivities really mean

🟣 The student experiences the world more intensely.
🟣 Overwhelm is physical, not emotional.
🟣 Their behaviour is communication.
🟣 Reducing sensory load increases learning capacity.
🟣 Accommodations don’t spoil them — they stabilize them.

A small adjustment for you may be the difference between burnout and a successful day for them.

Instagram