Understanding Sensory Regulation: What We’re Getting Wrong About ADHD and Autism.
Last week, I attended the Autism and ADHD Show in London, where I went to various talks covering both topics.
Three sessions, in particular, stood out to me:
Joanna Grace – Hidden Sensory Differences (Autism)
Beth Smithson – Creating Sensory Inclusive Schools for Students with ADHD
Amanda Hind – Working with Autistic Students Who Are Struggling to Engage or Reluctant to Discuss Support
Each speaker brought something incredibly valuable, and all have an online presence, so I’d really recommend checking them out.
Rather than writing about each talk individually (many of the key messages overlapped), I want to share the points that really stuck with me, the ideas that made me reflect on how we see, support, and sometimes misunderstand autistic and ADHD children.
Sensory-Seeking Isn’t Misbehaviour, It’s Regulation.
In many school and home settings, sensory-seeking behaviours are often misunderstood. People may say things like:
“Sit still.”
“Stop fidgeting.”
“They’re doing it to get attention.”
“Why are they pacing again?”
But behaviours like pacing, rocking, chewing, and jumping aren’t acts of defiance, they’re coping strategies. They’re the body’s way of self-regulating in an overwhelming environment. They’re not disruption; they’re regulation.
ADHD and the Struggle for Stillness
Children with ADHD are often labelled as disruptive or “badly behaved” when they can’t sit still or stay in their seats. But this isn’t about choice, it’s about neurology.
ADHD affects the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that helps with inhibition, planning, and self-regulation. It also affects how dopamine, a key brain chemical, is processed.
This means children with ADHD may:
Struggle to sit still
Constantly move or shift position
Act impulsively, including physically
Seek movement as a way to stay focused
So, when a child stands up, wriggles, fidgets, or falls off their chair, it isn’t necessarily because they won’t sit still, it may be because they can’t, at least not comfortably or consistently. It is beyond their control.
In fact, movement can be supportive. Many children with ADHD regulate better when allowed to fidget, stretch, or move. Tools like wobble cushions, fidget bands, and regular movement breaks aren’t “rewards” they’re scaffolds that help the brain stay engaged.
But What About the Child Who’s Pacing?
That said, and this is where the nuance matters, not all movement means more movement is the solution.
Imagine a child pacing at the back of the classroom. It’s easy to think:
“They need a movement break, great, let’s give them more movement!”
But here’s the key point: the reason behind the movement matters.
That child might be pacing because they need to move. But they might also be pacing because something in the environment is distressing: a ticking clock, fluorescent lighting, unpredictable transitions, or low-level background noise. Their nervous system is under stress, and pacing is their body’s way of staying regulated.
In that case, offering more movement won’t address the root cause. In fact, it might increase stimulation and make things worse.
The problem may not be the movement, it may be the noise, for example. In this case, the pacing is a way to regulate.
So instead of assuming the child needs more of what they’re doing, we need to pause and ask:
What’s going on around them?
Is this movement a need for input, or a coping mechanism for stress?
What change to the environment might reduce the need for the behaviour?
Proprioception: The Hidden Calmer.
One regulating tool that came up repeatedly was proprioception, our sense of body awareness and position. Heavy work, such as pushing, pulling, lifting, and stretching activities provides proprioceptive input, and it’s often incredibly calming.
This doesn’t have to mean something done in the school gym. It can be as simple as using therapy putty.
A child who is constantly leaning on things, climbing, crashing, or jumping may not be “overactive”, they may be seeking regulation through proprioceptive input.
But again, the key takeaway is: don’t assume the visible behaviour tells you the whole story. Look underneath.
Don’t “Fix” the Child. Adapt the Environment.
This is the most important shift of all.
Very often, professionals (Beth Smithson herself admitted this, as an OT) go in thinking:
“What do we need to do to fix this child?”
Whereas what she would now say first is:
“What do we need to change in this environment so the child doesn’t need to cope in this way?”
It’s not about forcing stillness or silence.
It’s not about removing stims or training away behaviours.
It’s about creating environments that feel safe, inclusive, and calm for neurodivergent children.
When we do this:
Sensory-seeking becomes optional, not essential
Children feel safe without masking
Behaviour improve, not because we controlled it, but because we supported the nervous system behind it
There was, of course, lots more interesting information at the Autism and ADHD Show which will inform my future writing and thoughts on the subject. I’ve already shared one analogy by Joanna Grace over on my Facebook page, so do check that out.
As always, if you have any questions or need any SEND advice or help with any part of the EHCP process, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Take care,
Bryony