Supporting Students with Autism through the Visual Sensory Classroom Environment: Teachers’ Perspectives in a Quantitative Study. 

Since the number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing in UK schools, there is a growing focus on making classrooms more inclusive for these students. Many students with ASD process visual information differently from their neurotypical peers, meaning that typical visual classroom features, such as bright lighting, colourful wall displays. visual clutter, and busy seating arrangements can feel overwhelming, distracting and anxiety- inducing. Despite this, most mainstream primary classrooms remain designed to suit the sensory processing needs of neurotypical students, which can create significant barriers for pupils with ASD accessing education comfortably and confidently. This is intensified by limited educational research exploring visual sensory processing, particularly from a quantitative perspective. To address this gap, the present study used a quantitative approach to explore how mainstream primary school teachers understand and meet the visual sensory needs of pupils with ASD. The study also investigated the types of visual adjustments teachers make in their classrooms, and whether factors such as understanding, teaching, experience, confidence and training, influence the use of these strategies. Thirty-four qualified mainstream primary school teachers from across the UK took part in the study. Most participants were female, participants had an average of fifteen years of teaching experience, taught an average of twenty-three students with ASD. Participants completed an online questionnaire consisting of three sections. The first gathered background information about teaching experience. The second section explored teachers understanding and experience of visual sensory processing differences in autism, alongside how confident and well-trained they felt in supporting diverse visual processing needs. The final section explored the classroom strategies teachers used to create a more visually comfortable environment for autistic pupils, including adjustments made to lighting, visual organisation, wall colours, and seating arrangements. The findings demonstrated that teachers only had moderate understanding, experience, confidence and training regarding visual processing differences in ASD, which the study suggests is not sufficient to fully support pupils with ASD. Teachers also reported using visual-friendly strategies between 'sometimes' and 'often', suggesting they are inconsistent in daily classroom practice. Importantly, the findings also point the way to improving support, as teachers with greater understanding and experience of visual sensory processing were significantly more likely to use visual-friendly strategies in their classrooms. Similarly, teachers who felt more confident and better trained also tended to use these strategies more frequently, though the relationship was less strong

This research has many important real-world implications for improving the learning experiences, wellbeing, and inclusion of pupils with ASD in UK primary mainstream classrooms. The study highlights the need for more visually supportive classroom environments and provides practical guidance for schools and teachers to make reasonable adjustments that better meet the visual sensory needs of pupils with ASD. More visually inclusive classrooms aim to benefit pupils with ASD by reducing sensory overload and anxiety, while increasing concentration, classroom participation, emotional wellbeing, and sense of belonging in school for these students. Teachers and schools may benefit from increased understanding of how visual classroom features can affect learning and behaviour, enabling them to create more inclusive and effective teaching spaces. In doing so, the research helps schools work towards compliance with the Equality Act (2010), ensuring that pupils with ASD can access education on an equal basis with their peers.The findings also have broader implications that inform school and policy level, teacher training, guidance and educational decision-making. At a wider level, the research could contribute to improvements in educational policy and inclusive practice by advocating for more accessible and supportive classroom environments for neurodiverse learners. Consequently, there is a need for greater sensory-informed training for educational practitioners, alongside clearer policy guidance on creating inclusive learning environments. Future research should explore these questions with larger and more diverse samples and include the perspectives of autistic pupils themselves to better understand how classrooms can become more visually inclusive