# Visual supports, communication and sensory adjustments in the nursery and classroom

> An autism-friendly nursery room or classroom makes the day visible, lets every child communicate in their own way and keeps sensory demands manageable. In practice that means visual timetables and Now and Next boards, adults who use a child's signs, symbols or device, fewer spoken words, planned changes to noise, light, displays and seating, and a calm space the child chooses. Plan these adjustments in advance, without waiting for a diagnosis.

- Canonical page: https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/visual-supports-in-the-classroom
- Publisher: Rocks Make Pebbles (https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk)
- Topic: For nurseries and schools
- Applies to: UK
- Last updated: 1 October 2026. Checked against sources: 1 October 2026
- Professional review: Not yet reviewed (waiting for review by a speech and language therapist, occupational therapist and autistic adult)
- Drafted with the help of AI tools and checked against the sources listed below. Editorial policy: https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/editorial-policy

## Key points

- Make the day visible with a class timetable, individual Now and Next boards and work systems that show when a task is finished.
- Pair every warning with a picture of what comes next. Warnings on their own often don't help.
- Every adult models on the child's signs, symbols or device, and the child keeps their board or device all day.
- Check noise, light, displays, smells, crowding and seating, and plan adjustments before a child struggles.
- A calm space is somewhere the child chooses and can always leave. It is never a punishment.
- Weighted vests, fidget toys, sensory circuits and the Zones of Regulation have little or no research behind them.

## What does an autism-friendly room or classroom look like?

An autism-friendly room makes the day predictable, lets every child communicate in their own way and keeps sensory demands manageable. Most changes cost little, and Scotland's Autism Toolbox notes that adaptations "can often benefit all young people in the classroom" ([Autism Toolbox](https://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/understanding-autism/environment/)). Start with two or three of these changes.

| Check | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Class timetable | Pictures at children's eye level, kept up to date |
| Individual supports | Now and Next or a personal timetable for a child who needs one |
| Work systems | Each task shows what to do, how much, when it ends and what is next |
| Transitions | Every warning comes with a picture of what comes next |
| Communication | The child's board, signs or device are always with them; every adult uses them |
| Adult talk | Fewer words, then time to answer |
| Noise | Quiet chair legs, fire drill warnings, ear defenders available |
| Light and displays | No flicker or glare; a plain wall near the child |
| Smells and crowding | Strong smells kept away; quieter times for cloakrooms and queues |
| Seating and movement | A seat chosen with the child; short, planned movement breaks |
| Calm space | Chosen by the child, who can always leave |
| Home links | The same pictures and words as home; a [one-page profile](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/printables/one-page-profile) from the family |

## How do we use visual timetables, Now and Next and work systems?

Show the day in pictures at two levels: a class timetable, and an individual one close by for children who need it. NICE recommends visual supports that are "meaningful for the child or young person" ([NICE CG170](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg170/chapter/Recommendations)).

- **Class [visual timetable](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#visual-timetable):** the session in order, in the same place, pointed to at each change. Try the [free visual timetable](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/printables/visual-timetable).
- **[Now and Next board](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#now-and-next-board):** two pictures, close to the child. Try the [free Now and Next board](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/printables/now-and-next-board).
- **Work systems:** visual answers to four questions: what do I do, how much, when am I finished and what comes next. Three trays, a finished box and a picture of the next activity is enough.
- **Visual instructions and [choice boards](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#choice-board):** picture steps for handwashing or a craft, and two to four pictures of real options. The [calm choices board](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/printables/calm-choices-board) is ready-made.
- **[Visual timers](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#visual-timer), with care:** a sand timer or silent visual timer shows how long is left, but it is still a warning, so show the next picture too. Stop if it seems to add pressure.

### Photos, objects or symbols?

Use what the child understands. The Autism Toolbox says objects are likely to work best "at the pre-verbal stage of communication development" ([Autism Toolbox](https://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/supporting-learners-and-families/effective-partnerships-and-communication/visual-supports/)), and research with minimally speaking autistic children suggests colour photos help them link a picture to the real thing ([Hartley and Allen 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24916452/)). Start with photos of your own room, and swap photos with the family, so the child learns one system, not two.

### Introducing and using them every day

1. **Teach it.** Take the child to the timetable, point, say the word and help them move the picture to "finished". Picture schedules work best when adults teach their use step by step ([Knight, Sartini and Spriggs 2015](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2201-z)).
2. **Keep it true and kind.** An NHS speech and language therapy leaflet asks that the board is "kept up to date across the day", that "all adults working with the child" know how to use it, and that it supports transitions, "not to encourage compliance with an adult chosen task" ([Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust](https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/download/using-picture-symbols-to-support-a-childs-understanding-of-whats-happening-next.pdf?ver=19134&doc=docm93jijm4n10367.pdf)). Put good things on it, not only tasks.

## How can we make moving between activities easier?

Show the child what comes next, not only that time is up. Research on warnings is mixed: in two studies in a 2026 review of 19 small experiments, "Advance notice alone was not effective" ([Kim et al. 2026](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13053881/)), and for two autistic children, picture schedules alone did not reduce problem behaviour when moving from a liked activity to a less-liked one ([Waters, Lerman and Hovanetz 2009](https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2009.42-309)).

1. **Warn with the picture:** "Sand nearly finished. Next snack."
2. **Make the next thing worth moving to,** or show when this one comes back.
3. **Let the child finish or save** their activity, with a "later" box or a photo of the model.
4. **Use the same words each time,** and leave extra time.
5. **If a [transition](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#transition) stays hard,** note what happens before and after, and ask the SENCO and family what the distress may be telling you.

> **Myth:** "A five-minute warning should be enough." Warnings often fail on their own. The parent guide to [transitions and changes](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/transitions-and-change) explains why.

## How should adults communicate with the child?

Use the child's way of communicating all day, and make your own language easier to follow.

- **Every adult models.** [AAC](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#aac) (augmentative and alternative communication) is any way of communicating that adds to or replaces speech, such as signs, picture boards and devices that speak. Point to symbols on the child's board, or use their [key word signs](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#key-word-signing), as you talk. A meta-analysis of 28 studies found this [aided language modelling](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#aided-language-modelling) "highly effective" ([O'Neill, Light and Pope 2018](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29931287/)), but a 2025 review found AAC in schools was "often implemented outside the classroom" ([Alfaro-Urrutia and Pérez-Godoy 2025](https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251333834)). Learn the child's signs and symbols as a whole team.
- **The board or device stays with the child.** "We cannot model if the AAC tool is in the cupboard or out of charge" ([AssistiveWare](https://www.assistiveware.com/learn-aac/make-aac-always-available)). Keep a laminated paper copy for water play and outdoors, and never remove it as a punishment.
- **Don't wait for readiness.** The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists says there are "no pre-requisites to using AAC" ([RCSLT, May 2024](https://www.rcslt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/RCSLT-AAC_position-statement_May2024.pdf)), and in the best studies none of 27 cases lost speech after starting AAC ([Millar, Light and Schlosser 2006](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16671842/)).
- **Say less, and wait.** The Autism Toolbox advises staff to "say less, slow down your rate of speech, stress key words and use visuals", and to allow processing time ([Autism Toolbox](https://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/understanding-autism/environment/)). Repeat with the same words.
- **Say what to do:** "Walking feet", not "Don't run". An NHS autism team advises "clear, direct, precise, unambiguous language" ([Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust](https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/autism-space/education/communication-in-school/)).
- **Treat echoes as communication.** [Echolalia](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#echolalia), repeating words heard before, often carries a message: in an early study of four children, immediate echoes served seven purposes ([Prizant and Duchan 1981](https://doi.org/10.1044/jshd.4603.241)). In another small study, adults' high-control talk, such as direct questions, drew most echoes ([Rydell and Mirenda 1991](https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02284756)). Comment more and quiz less, and see [echolalia and scripting](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/echolalia-and-scripting).

Ofsted's early years inspectors now look at whether the strategies practitioners use to communicate with children, "including children who do not communicate verbally, are effective and supportive" ([Ofsted early years toolkit, from 1 September 2026](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a91785401bbff0bf8f97b86/Early_years_inspection_toolkit.pdf)).

## Which sensory adjustments help, and do we have to make them?

Start with a quick audit of the room, then agree individual adjustments with the family. NICE asks professionals to consider "individual sensory sensitivities to lighting, noise levels and the colour of walls and furnishings" ([NICE CG170](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg170/chapter/Recommendations)).

### A quick audit

Walk the room at child height during a busy session. Note noise (chair scrapes, hand dryers, echo), light (flicker, glare), busy displays, strong smells, crowding (cloakrooms, queues, carpet time) and where the child sits. The Autism Education Trust's free [Sensory Audit for Schools and Classrooms](https://education.gov.scot/media/i3nm5bkt/sensory-audit-tool-for-environments.pdf) works through each area.

### Adjustments to try

The National Autistic Society's article on [sensory adjustments for pupils](https://www.autism.org.uk/learn/knowledge-hub/professional-practice/adjustments-sensory) says many "are inexpensive and just require creative changes in practice", such as felt pads under chair legs, paper towels instead of hand dryers, ear defenders, blackout blinds and letting the child [stim](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#stimming).

- **Ear defenders or headphones,** with a plan, and the child in control of them. In 13 autistic children aged 6 to 13, noise-cancelling earbuds improved listening attention and teacher-rated classroom listening ([Zanin et al. 2024](https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13164786)).
- **Seating choices,** such as a spot away from the door, chosen with the child.
- **Planned movement breaks.** DfE behaviour guidance for schools in England gives "short, planned movement breaks" and adjusting uniform "for a pupil with sensory issues" as examples of support to prevent likely triggers ([DfE, February 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65ce3721e1bdec001a3221fe/Behaviour_in_schools_-_advice_for_headteachers_and_school_staff_Feb_2024.pdf)).

Making reasonable adjustments is a legal duty, not an extra. In England, the [SEND Code of Practice](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf) says early years providers and schools "must make [reasonable adjustments](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#reasonable-adjustments)", and that the duty is anticipatory: it needs thought in advance about what disabled children might need (paras 5.10 and 6.9). Under the Equality Act it is owed to "disabled pupils generally" in schools ([Schedule 13](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/schedule/13/paragraph/2)) and "disabled persons generally" in private nurseries and childminding ([Schedule 2](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/schedule/2/paragraph/2)).

## How do we set up a calm space?

A calm space is somewhere a child chooses to go to rest and recover, and can always leave. It is never a punishment, never locked and never somewhere a child is made to stay.

- **Make it part of the room:** a tent, a screened corner or a beanbag behind a bookcase.
- **Open it to everyone.** The Autism Toolbox says a quieter, distraction-free area need not be "for the sole or permanent use of autistic learners".
- **Practise at calm times,** and let the child choose what goes in it.
- **Never use it as a sanction.** The [EYFS](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#eyfs) bans "any punishment which could negatively affect a child's well-being" (para 3.75, [EYFS 2026](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5f8e4fb00f3323bf1a23a1/EYFS_group_and_school_based_from_September_2026.pdf)).
- **Know the line.** In schools and maintained nursery schools, keeping a child somewhere away from others and stopping them leaving is seclusion, a [restrictive intervention](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#restrictive-intervention). DfE guidance (April 2026) says it "should only be used as a safety measure", and since 1 April 2026 schools must record and report it ([DfE](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6943dad6501cdd438f4cf5aa/Restrictive_interventions_including_use_of_reasonable_force_in_schools.pdf)). See [meltdowns and distress at nursery and school](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/meltdowns-and-distress-at-nursery-and-school).

We found no research on calm corners. A 2025 review of sensory rooms found "insufficient evidence" ([Leonardi et al. 2025](https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251320424)), but 41 autistic children aged 4 to 12 paid more attention when they controlled the equipment ([Unwin, Powell and Jones 2022](https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211050176)).

## What does the research say?

Visual structure and AAC have the strongest evidence. Several popular sensory and regulation products have little or none.

| Support | Evidence | What the research found |
|---|---|---|
| Visual schedules and work systems | Strong | Schedules met evidence-based criteria in a 31-study review ([Knight et al. 2015](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2201-z)); TEACCH structured teaching, which uses work systems, helped children work independently in 14 small school studies ([Zhou et al. 2024](https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.13234)) |
| AAC | Strong | Starting with a device that speaks led to more spontaneous communication in a trial with 61 minimally speaking children aged 5 to 8 ([Kasari et al. 2014](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24839882/)) |
| Modelling AAC in class | Moderate | "Highly effective" across 28 mostly small studies, but less is known about busy classrooms ([O'Neill et al. 2018](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29931287/); [Alfaro-Urrutia 2025](https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251333834)) |
| Movement breaks | Moderate | Exercise programmes improved attention and social-emotional functioning in a 13-study review, with few studies under age 5 ([Bremer et al. 2016](https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315616002)) |
| Alternative seating | Limited | A 2025 review found "alternative seating did not improve attention" ([Piller et al. 2025](https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2025.1720179)) |
| Weighted vests | None | A 7-study review: they "cannot be recommended" ([Stephenson and Carter 2009](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0605-3)) |
| Fidget toys | None for autistic children | No autism studies; two tiny studies of children with attention difficulties disagreed ([Aspiranti and Hulac 2022](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00588-2); [Croley et al. 2023](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00734-4)) |
| Sensory diets and sensory circuits | None | A large US review rated sensory diets "Insufficient evidence", from one study ([NCAEP 2020](https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/EBP-Report-2020.pdf)); we found no studies of sensory circuits |
| Zones of Regulation | None | It "does not meet the standards for an evidence-based practice" ([Mason, Leaf and Gerhardt 2024](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00224669231170202)) |
| Social Stories | Limited | A UK trial in 87 schools found no difference on its main outcome, though children met individual goals more often ([Wright et al. 2024](https://doi.org/10.3310/jbtm8017)) |

If you use some of these, keep only what a child chooses and enjoys, never make it compulsory, and ask an occupational therapist before using weighted products.

> **Evidence check:** In the US National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice review, almost 80% of studies from 2012 to 2017 used one-to-one sessions, and educators delivered the support in only 20% ([NCAEP 2020](https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/EBP-Report-2020.pdf)). Using these ideas with a whole room is a sensible test, not a guarantee.

## Where can staff and families get more help?

- **Your [SENCO](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#senco) and [area SENCO](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#area-senco).** The SEND Code says councils "often make use of Area SENCOs" to advise early years providers "on the development of inclusive early learning environments" (para 5.55).
- **[Speech and language therapists](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#speech-and-language-therapist)** for symbols, signs and AAC, and **[occupational therapists](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#occupational-therapist)** for sensory needs. With the family's agreement, ask your SENCO about referrals. [Experts at Hand](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#experts-at-hand), rolling out from September 2026, brings specialists like these into nurseries and schools, and children "will not need a diagnosis" ([DfE, June 2026](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-send-reform-developing-the-experts-at-hand-offer/experts-at-hand-what-those-leading-and-working-in-mainstream-settings-need-to-know)).
- **Free training:** DfE's free in-house sessions for school staff start with speech, language and communication ([DfE, September 2026](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/send-and-inclusion-training-for-mainstream-schools)). Dingley's Promise runs DfE-funded online SEND courses for early years educators in England ([Dingley's Promise](https://dingley.org.uk/training-eycpd/)).
- **For families:** our parent guides on [visual timetables](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/visual-timetables), [Now and Next boards](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/now-and-next-boards), [sensory differences](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/sensory-differences) and [signing, pictures or an AAC app](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/aac-signing-and-picture-communication) are written for parents. The [National Autistic Society](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#nas), [Communication Matters](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#communication-matters), [Speech and Language UK](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#speech-and-language-uk) and the local [SENDIASS](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#sendiass) can help families.

See also [supporting an autistic child in nursery](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/supporting-autistic-children-in-nursery).

> **Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland:** The practical ideas work in every nation. The SEND Code, EYFS, Ofsted toolkit and DfE guidance quoted are for England, and the Equality Act's adjustment duties do not apply in Northern Ireland ([section 217](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/217)). Scotland's Autism Toolbox is written for Scottish schools and early learning settings.

## Where our app, Pebble, fits

Some families use Pebble at home. Its My day screen shows Now and Next and can print a matching picture strip, so a child can see the same kind of pictures at home and in your room. Cards made from photos of your own room work just as well.

Pebble by Rocks Make Pebbles is our free app for autistic children, used together with a grown-up. This guide is written to be useful without it. More: https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/pebble

## Questions staff ask

### Do we need a diagnosis before we use visual supports or make sensory adjustments?

No. Visual supports, communication support and sensory adjustments can start as soon as you notice a need, and they help many children. In England the SEND Code of Practice describes the duty to make reasonable adjustments as anticipatory, so settings should plan ahead rather than wait for a particular child to struggle. Talk with the family, agree what to try first, and review it together.

### Should our class visual timetable use photos or symbols?

Use what the children understand. Photos of your own room, equipment and staff are often easier for young children than symbols, and children at an early stage of communication may understand real objects best. You can use symbols with the word underneath on the class timetable, plus photos or objects on an individual board for a child who needs them. Ask the family which pictures and words they use at home.

### How long should a warning be before we change activity?

There is no set time. Research suggests a warning on its own often doesn't help, especially when a child has to leave something they enjoy. Give the warning with a picture of what comes next, make the next thing worth moving to where you can, and offer a way to finish or save the current activity. Use the same few words every time.

### Will pictures, signs or a communication device stop a child learning to talk?

No. A review of the best studies found that none of the 27 people studied lost speech after starting signs or picture systems, and most gained some, although the gains were often modest. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists says there are no pre-requisites to using AAC. Keep talking as you point or sign, so the child sees and hears the words together.

### Are weighted vests and fidget toys worth buying for the classroom?

The research does not support them as a way to calm children or improve attention. A review of weighted vests concluded they cannot be recommended, and we found no studies of fidget toys with autistic children. If a child likes a fiddle toy, it can be one choice among others, but never take it away as a punishment. If an occupational therapist has recommended something for one child, ask how you will check it is helping.

### Is a calm corner the same as time out?

No. A calm space is somewhere a child chooses to go to rest and recover, and can always leave. Time out is used as a consequence. Never send a child to the calm space as a punishment or keep them there. In schools in England, keeping a child somewhere away from others and stopping them leaving counts as seclusion, which DfE guidance says should only be used as a safety measure and must be recorded.

### What is a work system?

A work system shows a child, in pictures or objects, what to do, how much to do, when it is finished and what comes next. A simple version is three small trays of tasks, a finished box and a picture of the next activity at the end. The child works through the trays in order, so the end of the task is easy to see without an adult explaining it.

## Sources

1. [Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: support and management (CG170), recommendations](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg170/chapter/Recommendations), NICE, 14 June 2021
2. [Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with autism (NCAEP report, Steinbrenner et al.)](https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/EBP-Report-2020.pdf), National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice, University of North Carolina, 2020
3. [Visual supports](https://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/supporting-learners-and-families/effective-partnerships-and-communication/visual-supports/), Autism Toolbox (Scotland)
4. [Environment](https://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/understanding-autism/environment/), Autism Toolbox (Scotland)
5. [Iconicity influences how effectively minimally verbal children with autism and ability-matched typically developing children use pictures as symbols in a search task (Hartley and Allen)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24916452/), Autism (via PubMed), 2015
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11. [Curricular integration of AAC for students on the autism spectrum in inclusive-oriented schools: a scoping review (Alfaro-Urrutia and Pérez-Godoy)](https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251333834), Autism, 2025
12. [Make AAC always available](https://www.assistiveware.com/learn-aac/make-aac-always-available), AssistiveWare
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16. [Autistic children and communication in school](https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/autism-space/education/communication-in-school/), Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Autism Space, 3 June 2026
17. [The functions of immediate echolalia in autistic children (Prizant and Duchan)](https://doi.org/10.1044/jshd.4603.241), Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 1981
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19. [Early years inspection toolkit (v2.0, for use from 1 September 2026)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a91785401bbff0bf8f97b86/Early_years_inspection_toolkit.pdf), Ofsted, June 2026
20. [Sensory Audit for Schools and Classrooms (Attfield, Fowler and Jones, Autism Education Trust)](https://education.gov.scot/media/i3nm5bkt/sensory-audit-tool-for-environments.pdf), Education Scotland
21. [Reasonable adjustments for autistic pupils' sensory differences](https://www.autism.org.uk/learn/knowledge-hub/professional-practice/adjustments-sensory), National Autistic Society, 6 June 2025
22. [Effectiveness of noise cancelling earbuds in reducing hearing and auditory attention deficits in children with autism (Zanin, Tomlin and Rance)](https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13164786), Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2024
23. [Behaviour in schools: advice for headteachers and school staff](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65ce3721e1bdec001a3221fe/Behaviour_in_schools_-_advice_for_headteachers_and_school_staff_Feb_2024.pdf), Department for Education, February 2024
24. [Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf), Department for Education and Department of Health, January 2015
25. [Equality Act 2010, Schedule 13, paragraph 2 (education: reasonable adjustments)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/schedule/13/paragraph/2), legislation.gov.uk
26. [Equality Act 2010, Schedule 2, paragraph 2 (services: reasonable adjustments)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/schedule/2/paragraph/2), legislation.gov.uk
27. [Early years foundation stage statutory framework for group and school-based providers (effective 1 September 2026)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5f8e4fb00f3323bf1a23a1/EYFS_group_and_school_based_from_September_2026.pdf), Department for Education, 13 July 2026
28. [Restrictive interventions, including use of reasonable force, in schools](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6943dad6501cdd438f4cf5aa/Restrictive_interventions_including_use_of_reasonable_force_in_schools.pdf), Department for Education, April 2026
29. [The use of multisensory environments in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review (Leonardi et al.)](https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251320424), Autism, 2025
30. [The use of Multi-Sensory Environments with autistic children: exploring the effect of having control of sensory changes (Unwin, Powell and Jones)](https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211050176), Autism, 2022
31. [The use of TEACCH in schools to improve the ability of children with autism to complete tasks independently: a single-case meta-analysis (Zhou et al.)](https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.13234), Child: Care, Health and Development, 2024
32. [A systematic review of the behavioural outcomes following exercise interventions for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (Bremer, Crozier and Lloyd)](https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315616002), Autism, 2016
33. [Systematic review of sensory-based interventions for children and youth, 2015 to 2024 (Piller et al.)](https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2025.1720179), Frontiers in Pediatrics, 2025
34. [The use of weighted vests with children with autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities (Stephenson and Carter)](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0605-3), Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2009
35. [Using fidget spinners to improve on-task classroom behavior for students with ADHD (Aspiranti and Hulac)](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00588-2), Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022
36. [The effect of the Fidget Cube on classroom behavior among students with perceived attention difficulties (Croley et al.)](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00734-4), Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2023
37. [A research review of the Zones of Regulation program (Mason, Leaf and Gerhardt)](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00224669231170202), The Journal of Special Education, 2024
38. [Impact of Social Stories on social and emotional health of autism spectrum primary school children: the ASSSIST2 RCT (Wright et al.)](https://doi.org/10.3310/jbtm8017), NIHR Health Technology Assessment, 2024
39. [SEND and inclusion training for mainstream schools](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/send-and-inclusion-training-for-mainstream-schools), Department for Education, 24 September 2026
40. [Early Years SEND CPD courses](https://dingley.org.uk/training-eycpd/), Dingley's Promise, 25 September 2026
41. [Experts at Hand: what those leading and working in mainstream settings need to know](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-send-reform-developing-the-experts-at-hand-offer/experts-at-hand-what-those-leading-and-working-in-mainstream-settings-need-to-know), Department for Education, 5 June 2026
42. [Equality Act 2010, section 217 (extent)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/217), legislation.gov.uk

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General information for families in the UK, not medical, legal or financial advice. If you are worried about your child's health, contact your GP or call NHS 111 (in Northern Ireland, your GP out of hours service). In an emergency, call 999.