‘It just feels unnatural being here’: Autistic secondary school students’ experiences of sensory sensitivities in the school environment

Jennifer Price & Mel Romualdez (2025)

While research has examined the sensory impact of school environments, until now few studies have directly asked for autistic students’ own perspectives on how sensory differences affect their wellbeing, energy, and learning. This study starts with lived experiences to better understand what school feels like from the inside out.

This study explored how autistic students experience sensory aspects of secondary school. Six students were invited to photograph spaces they associated with positive or negative sensory experiences. After this they talked in interviews thinking about these images. Interviews encouraged participants to shape the conversation. Pupils were asked to communicate in many ways, including drawing, writing, or speaking. They had control over their interview environment, such as location, lighting, and seating arrangements, to reduce anxiety and enhance sensory comfort.

The authors’ – as a self-advocate and an ally – are committed to collaborative knowledge.The authors performed a thematic analysis on the data together.

Three themes were seen:

Impact of the school environment on individuals
The importance of safe space
Levels of support and understanding

These interviews offer a first-hand account of autistic secondary students’ sensory experiences in mainstream schools, revealing the huge impact of environmental factors like noise, lighting, and crowding on wellbeing and learning. Pupils highlighted the value of supportive staff, peer relationships, and quiet spaces, while calling for simple, low-cost changes, like written instructions and sensory-friendly environments, that are often overlooked.

Despite the benefits of these changes, many students reported feeling misunderstood or stigmatised, underscoring the urgent need for autistic-led training, co-produced solutions, and a school-wide culture that embraces neurodiversity. A shift towards neuro-affirming practices could significantly improve inclusion and educational outcomes for autistic (and all) students.