The Educator Magazine U.K. Sept-Dec 2026 issue - Magazine - Page 36
Autism-friendly classrooms:
How to design school spaces everyone can enjoy
By Stephanie Smith, Head of School, The Cavendish School and Executive
Director of SENDV at Eastern Learning Alliance
The government’s focus on creating more
inclusive mainstream environments for
children with special educational needs
and disabilities (SEND), outlined in its recent
education whitepaper, is laudable.
However, what does this really look like in
practice for schools that want to be more
inclusive of their autistic students?
When considering the needs of autistic
children, academic adjustments, social
skills support or communication
modifications might spring to mind but
supporting autistic students starts long
before they enter the classroom.
Differences in sensory processing mean
that many autistic children may be over or
under sensitive to stimuli such as lights,
sounds and movement.
The design of the school environment,
from lighting to décor to equipment,
can have a considerable impact on an
autistic children’s ability to learn. At
Cambridgeshire’s first ever statemaintained special autism school,
The Cavendish School, we have seen how
impactful intentional design can be on our
students’ educational experience. Many of
the principles we follow at The Cavendish
School can also be applied by mainstream
schools to make them even more
accommodating of their autistic learners.
Back to basics: Using architecture
to reduce overwhelm
Long before considering classroom design
or specialist seating, the foundations
for autism inclusion are created by the
structure of the school building. When
designing new spaces for your school, it’s
important to consider how those spaces will
be experienced by autistic students, whose
sensory processing differences mean that
overly tight, bright or loud spaces can cause
overstimulation and dysregulation.
At The Cavendish School, our corridors
are wider than standard corridors so that
students can make their way between
classes with plenty of personal space, which
can help to reduce feelings of anxiety.
Our building places an emphasis on natural
light, which can be less uncomfortable for
autistic children who are sensitive to light.
Using sound-absorbent materials to reduce
loud noise or echoes can also reduce stimuli
for children who are sensitive to noise.
While most schools’ layouts are fixed,
there are ways to reduce some of the
environmental challenges autistic students
can experience in a mainstream school.
By working with your student to undertake
an audit of their learning space, you can
help them become an independent selfadvocate and identity the most pressing
challenges they are facing. It may be that
there is a buzzing noise from a device
that can be turned off or that they need
to change seating during the day to avoid
changes in lighting that occur as the sun
moves. Allowing them time to transition
to lessons before their peers will provide
quieter, more spacious corridor options.
Other children will need more stimuli
throughout their day to help them
regulate and you can consider ways in
which to incorporate movement as a class –
or for your individual student – or access
to space where they can run, jump or roll
so that they can self-regulate.
Clutter-free classrooms
After you have identified ways in which
you can create a physical environment that
supports your autistic students, it’s time to
consider what those spaces will look like.
Low-arousal colours like soft blues, pinks
or greens can be less overwhelming than
reds, yellows or high-contrast patterns.
Meanwhile, well-organised spaces with
designated zones for each activity and clear
boundaries between them can improve
predictability and help autistic children
feel safe and secure throughout their day.
Focusing on visual aids that support
learning and understanding but reducing
wall coverings, displays and posters,
where possible, can help to reduce sensory
and auditory overload and create less
overwhelming classrooms.
Customising spaces
Just as every child is different, every autistic
learner will have different preferences
about how they want to work and engage
at school. Allowing students to customise
their classroom experience as far as
possible, rather than enforcing arbitrary
rules like sitting cross-legged, can help
them to learn to self-advocate and
empower them as they prepare for
adulthood. You might want to offer a
range of seating options, like beanbags,
wobble cushions or adaptive seating, or
allow your students to personalise their
desks to help them feel comfortable. You
can even create a DIY hideaway in a corner
of the classroom using furniture and
blankets, or a pop up sensory tent, to
provide students with spaces that meet
their needs but enable them to continue to
learn.
Sensory safe zones
Having a quiet space where your autistic
student can retreat to and self-regulate is
essential to help them enjoy their learning
experience. At The Cavendish School, each
of our classrooms is connected to a sensory
breakout room, which students are
encouraged to use throughout the day.
If your school doesn’t have suitable breakout spaces, consider letting students retreat
to an office, corridor or designated quiet
corner of the classroom where they can
regulate. You may also want to consider
how to use your school’s outside space to
help support sensory seekers who need
additional input – a trampoline or large
swing can be helpful play equipment for
these learners.
A ground-up approach to inclusion
Designing school spaces may not be the
first thing that comes to mind in
conversations about autism inclusion in
a mainstream school, but it can make
an enormous difference to how autistic
learners experience their school day.
By restructuring your school’s spaces
to accommodate autistic children, and
ensuring that any new spaces are designed
with autistic children in mind, you can help
reduce significant barriers to their learning,
enabling them to enjoy their learning and
achieve their aspirations.
