and How Sensory Friendly Clothing Can Be Adding to an IEP to Help
Sensory dysregulation is common in school settings due to the bright fluorescent lights, noisy halls, crowded classrooms, and frequent transitions. When a child’s brain is overwhelmed with the sensory environment, it makes it impossible for them to focus and learn. It also leads to many unwanted behaviors such as aggression, a lack of participation, and elopement. Kids with ADHD and autism who struggle with sensory issues may be wrongfully categorized as kids with “behavior problems” in schools.
In this blog, we will explore how sensory regulation may be the root cause of behavior challenges and could be affecting your child’s learning. We will also showcase solutions like sensory clothing that can be added to their IEP or 504 plan to help improve comfort and focus in the classroom!
1. Understanding Sensory Regulation in Schools
Sensory regulation is the ability to process and respond appropriately to sensory input from the environment. This includes touch, sound, sight, taste, smell, movement, and body awareness. Our brains filter and interpret sensory information, determining what we should focus on and what irrelevant distractions we should tune out. Someone without sensory processing differences can sit in a classroom and focus on the lesson, even if there’s background noise, a tag on their shirt, or a slight change in temperature.
However, children with sensory processing difficulties, such as those with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing disorder (SPD), process sensory input differently and often can’t tune out the distracting stimuli. Their brains can easily be overwhelmed by these sensory inputs.
This leads to troubles taking in a lesson or direction and leads to sensory overload and dysregulation that presents as behaviors.
Common sensory challenges for students autism, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder (SPD) include:
- Noise (they may be sensitive to sound)
- Flickering and bright lights
- Texture (of their clothing, of foods, and of toys and materials)
- Temperature (can feel overwhelmed when they feel too hot or too cold)
Sensory needs greatly affect academic performance. If a student can’t tolerate being in the classroom, can’t focus on the material being taught, and is often suspended or pulled out for “behavior”, then that child will not be able to learn or achieve.
Sensory regulation is a basic need that has to be met for learning to happen, just like hunger and sleep.
2. The Impact of Sensory Dysregulation on Learning and Behavior
Sensory dysregulation can manifest in many different ways, depending on whether a child is hypersensitive (over-responsive) or hyposensitive (under-responsive) to sensory input.
Some common signs of sensory dysregulation in the classroom include:
- Frequent fidgeting or difficulty sitting still: may constantly shift in their seat, tap their hands, or rock back and forth to regulate their sensory system)
- Avoiding certain classroom activities: may refuse to engage in hands-on activities due to texture sensitivities (e.g., glue, clay, or certain fabrics).
- Covering ears or eyes
- Irritability or emotional outbursts
- Withdrawal or shutdown: instead of acting out, some children may become non-responsive, disengaged, or isolate themselves when overwhelmed.
- Clothing-related distress: complaining about or pulling at scratchy tags, taking off socks for feeling “wrong,” or constantly adjusting clothing
When sensory distress of dysregulation is not addressed, it will continue to escalate and could lead to a full sensory meltdown. It is best to accommodate a student’s sensory needs in the classroom before dysregulation occurs.
For example, covering the fluorescent lights with covers, providing flexible seating options, offering sensory breaks and walks as needed, and having sensory tools on hand and accessible at all times. These can include fidgets, headphones, weighted lap pads, compression vests, and sensory clothing.
3. Sensory-Friendly Clothing as a Supportive Tool
Sensory friendly clothing are clothes with no tags, flat seams, soft fabrics, and built-in sensory tools. Kids who struggle with sensory regulation often struggle with their clothing. Sometimes it is obvious and severe, other times it is more subtle.
Uncomfortable clothing may take up their tolerance. Think of it like a cup where water gets poured in every time sensory input is added. Scratch tags and rough fabrics may fill their cup and make other sensory input far less tolerable than they would be. Other students talking or the classroom lights may seem like their main trigger to dysregulation, but those may just be intolerable on top of the discomfort they have had since getting dressed.
That is why sensory comfort through clothing is so important in schools. Check out brands like Sense-ational You for tag free clothing and clothes with built-in sensory tools to support them everywhere (even when their classroom doesn’t have them). These include:
- A sound reducing hoodie that helps block sound and has an eye mask that can pull down when needed
- A t-shirt with built-in adjustable compression for when a vest isn’t accessible
- Joggers with a fidget pocket
4. How to Add Sensory-Friendly Clothing to an IEP
Oftentimes schools require uniforms or have clothing rules such as no hoods are allowed to be worn up. If these do not meet your child’s sensory needs because the uniform is uncomfortable or they can’t tolerate headphones so need a sound reducing hoodie, then sensory clothing items can be added to their IEP or 504 plan as a sensory accommodation.
Work with your child’s teachers and therapists (such as their occupational therapist) to help document their needs. Make sure to document your own observations as well. That way you can present the need in a concrete way to their IEP team.
If you need help advocating for these accommodations, work with an educational advocate (such as Bevell’s Advocate) to help you get your child the sensory supports they need to thrive.
Remember that sensory regulation is a basic human need. Learning can not occur unless this basic need is met first. That is why sensory supports like sensory clothing and small changes to the classroom environment such as light covers can make a significant impact.
Sensory dysregulation is often wrongfully seen as behavior. By helping your child get their sensory needs met, behaviors as school will decrease and academic achievement will increase. Parents and educators need to advocate for these sensory accommodations to be added as a part of students’ IEPs so that they are never denied the sensory tools and accommodations they need to succeed in school.