Supporting a Child With SPD and ADHD at School: What Works

What do SPD and ADHD look like in the classroom?

Children with ADHD are impulsive, inattentive and hyperactive. Children with sensory modulation disorder, one subtype of sensory processing disorder, have trouble responding adaptively to everyday sensory experiences. The two are often difficult to tell apart.⁠⁵ In class, common challenges include:

• Filtering sound and sight. Some children register everything at the same intensity, so the teacher’s voice, the ticking clock, the buzzing air conditioner and the bell for a transition all compete for attention.⁠¹⁸
• Movement and touch. Cleveland Clinic lists needing to constantly touch things and not recognizing personal space among SPD symptoms, and suggests a designated school break to walk, spin or swing, movement that works the vestibular sense of balance.⁠^1,19
• Big reactions. Reacting to sudden movements, touches, loud noises or bright lights is a common SPD symptom, and children with ADHD can have difficulty regulating feelings.⁠^1,2
• Transitions. Children with ADHD can become deeply absorbed in activities that interest them and need extra help shifting their attention.⁠²
• Sustained effort. For children with ADHD, paying attention takes extra effort and can be very tiring.⁠²

These are needs to support rather than misbehavior to punish: the CDC notes that children with ADHD benefit when schools use positive rather than punitive discipline.⁠²

Is it SPD, ADHD or both?

Often both. A review of 11 studies found sensory processing problems more common in children with ADHD than in typically developing children, with co-occurring oppositional defiant disorder and anxiety predicting more severe sensory problems.⁠⁷ When researchers compared children with ADHD, sensory modulation disorder, both or neither, inattention was greater in ADHD, while sensory modulation disorder brought more sensory issues, anxiety and somatic complaints and stronger skin-conductance reactions to sensory stimuli. They concluded that the two are distinct diagnoses.⁠⁵

The American Academy of Pediatrics advised in 2012 that sensory processing disorder generally should not be diagnosed, because there is no universally accepted framework, and that difficulty processing sensory information appears in many conditions, including ADHD, autism, developmental coordination disorder and childhood anxiety.⁠²⁰ More on ADHD and sensory processing disorder.

What does SPD mean in school?

SPD stands for sensory processing disorder.⁠¹ At school, the label itself carries little legal weight: it is not one of the 13 disability terms in federal special education law, so support is built on what a child needs and on categories such as other health impairment, which names ADHD.⁠¹³ What counts is how the condition affects learning. Under Section 504, a medical diagnosis alone does not entitle a student to services; the condition must substantially limit learning or another major life activity.⁠³

What school works for a child who can’t handle a normal classroom?

Start with what the public school must offer. Federal special education rules require every district to have a continuum of placements: instruction in regular classes, special classes, special schools, home instruction and instruction in hospitals and institutions, plus supplementary services such as a resource room or itinerant instruction alongside a regular class.⁠⁴ Under Section 504, an appropriate education can mean regular classes, regular classes with supplementary services, or special education and related services.⁠³

The default is the regular classroom with support. A child may be moved to special classes or separate schooling only when the nature or severity of the disability means education in regular classes with supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.⁠¹⁶ So for a child who is overwhelmed in class, the law points first to supports in the regular classroom, with a smaller or specialized setting further along the continuum.⁠^4,16

Can a public school offer a smaller or specialized setting?

Yes. Special classes and special schools are part of the continuum every district must make available, and an IEP must explain how far, if at all, a child is to be taught apart from nondisabled children in the regular class.⁠^4,21 The IEP also lists the supplementary aids and services, program modifications and supports for school staff that let the child learn alongside other children.⁠²¹

Do public charter schools have to provide special education?

Yes. Children with disabilities who attend public charter schools, and their parents, keep all their rights under federal special education rules. Where the charter school is one of the district’s own public schools, the district must serve its students in the same way it serves students with disabilities in its other schools.⁠²²

What happens to services if I choose a private school?

The rights change. A child placed in a private school by their parents has no individual right to the special education and related services they would receive in a public school, and the district makes the final decisions about which services it provides.⁠¹⁷ A district does not have to pay for a private school if it made a free appropriate public education available. A court or hearing officer can order reimbursement if the district had not done so in time and the private placement is appropriate, but reimbursement can be reduced if parents did not tell the IEP team, or give written notice at least 10 business days before removing the child, that they were rejecting the proposed placement.⁠²³

Before choosing a school, ask how it would carry out the accommodations your child already has, and ask the district in writing which services, if any, would follow your child.⁠¹⁷

How to help a child with sensory processing disorder in the classroom

Most of what helps costs little, but it has to fit the child. Some children are over-responsive and some under-responsive, the patterns behind sensory over-responsivity and sensory under-responsivity, and one child can be more sensitive in some senses and less in others.⁠¹⁸

• Sound and sight
  • Headphones: Cleveland Clinic lists headphones to block background noise during work as a school support for SPD. In one study, earmuffs improved auditory goals and noise-canceling headphones did not, so the tool matters.⁠^1,10
  • Fewer distractions: The CDC lists changes to the environment to limit distraction among standard accommodations and advises teachers to minimize distractions, although research on changing the sensory environment is thin.⁠^2,10
• Movement
  • Movement breaks: Allowing breaks and time to move are standard accommodations, and short active breaks in primary school classes raised time on task in every study of a 22-study review.⁠^2,9
  • Seating: Stability balls, cube chairs and T-stools did not improve attention or work output in school studies.⁠¹⁰
• Hands and organization
  • Fidget tools: Cleveland Clinic lists access to fidget toys as a school support; the CDC notes that fidget tools can help or distract depending on the child, and fidget spinners worsened attention in young children with ADHD.⁠^1,2,12
  • Organization: Tools such as a homework folder limit how many things a child has to track, and organizational training, which teaches time management and planning, is one of the two school strategies the CDC calls effective.⁠²

What can a teacher do daily for a child with ADHD and sensory needs?

• Give frequent feedback and attention to positive behavior.⁠²
• Make assignments clear, check that the child understands, and keep them short rather than long and repetitive.⁠²
• Offer choices for showing mastery, such as an oral report, an online quiz or a hands-on project instead of an essay.⁠²
• Give extra warnings before transitions and changes in routine.⁠²
• Use a daily report card, which sets clear expectations, gives immediate positive feedback and keeps daily contact with parents.⁠²
• Ask the child what helps and what distracts: fidget tools, limiting eye contact while listening, background music or moving while learning can go either way.⁠²

More ideas for movement breaks in the classroom.

What sensory processing disorder accommodations help at school?

Accommodations are by far the most common school response to ADHD, with testing accommodations such as extended time especially common.⁠⁸ IEPs and 504 plans can include extra time on tests, tailored instruction and assignments, positive feedback, technology, breaks and time to move, changes to limit distraction and extra help with organization, and an occupational therapist may add sensory tools such as headphones, fidget toys and a sensory break.⁠^1,2

Accommodations work best alongside treatment, not instead of it. A 2021 systematic review found that most accommodations show no benefit specific to students with ADHD, and that they should be provided along with evidence-based interventions, or after interventions have failed.⁠⁸ The school interventions with the best evidence are behavioral classroom management and organizational training, yet parents report that only about 1 in 3 children with ADHD receive behavioral classroom management.⁠²

How do I work with my child’s teacher and school team?

Children with ADHD can do well in school with the support of parents, teachers and school administrators working together, and the CDC recommends regular communication with parents and involving the school counselor or psychologist.⁠²

1. Meet early. Ask for a meeting with the teacher and, where it helps, the school counselor, psychologist or occupational therapist before problems pile up.⁠^2,24
2. Share what helps and what distracts. The CDC suggests observing and talking with the child about what helps; a one-page summary of strengths, triggers and strategies that work at home gives the teacher the same picture.⁠²
3. Agree on how to keep in touch. A daily report card links school and home every day, and it is one of the few classroom practices with evidence behind it.⁠²
4. Agree on how to judge each tool. The AAP encourages a trial period and a clear way to tell whether a sensory approach is working.⁠²⁰
5. Put it in writing. If needs affect learning, ask for an evaluation for an IEP or a 504 plan; a 504 plan binds the teachers it covers.⁠^3,14

An IEP is governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and a 504 plan by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.⁠² The guide to IEPs and 504 plans compares the two, our template letter puts the request for an evaluation in writing, and parent-teacher conferences for the neurodivergent child covers the meeting itself.

How do I get sensory and ADHD supports into a 504 plan or IEP?

A written plan makes support outlast one sympathetic teacher. Under Section 504, regular education teachers must implement the plans that govern their students, and failing to do so can put the district out of compliance.⁠³ For an IEP, the district must make it accessible to every teacher and provider responsible for it and tell each one about the specific accommodations they must provide.⁠¹⁵

Which special education category fits a child with SPD and ADHD?

Sensory processing disorder is not one of the 13 disability terms in federal special education law, so a request built on that label alone has no category to land in.⁠¹³ ADHD does have one. Other health impairment is defined as limited strength, vitality or alertness, “including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli,” due to health problems that include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, that adversely affects educational performance.⁠¹³ Autism’s definition includes “unusual responses to sensory experiences,” and a learning difference or a speech or language impairment has its own category.⁠¹³ Eligibility also requires that the child needs special education because of the disability; a child who needs only a related service does not qualify under IDEA.⁠¹³ In practice, that means leading with the diagnosis that has a category and describing the sensory needs as part of the picture.⁠¹³

What happens after I ask for an evaluation?

Either a parent or the school can request an initial evaluation. Once the school has the parent’s consent, the evaluation must be completed within 60 days, or within the state’s own timeframe if it has set one, and it must determine both whether the child has a disability and what the child’s educational needs are.⁠¹⁴ Put the request in writing so it is dated; for Section 504, the Office for Civil Rights has accepted written consent as compliance.⁠³

An outside report helps but does not decide. Under Section 504, a doctor’s diagnosis is one source among others, such as aptitude and achievement tests, teacher recommendations and adaptive behavior, and an outside independent evaluation is one of many sources to consider.⁠³ An occupational therapist assesses sensory processing by watching how a child responds to sensory experiences, and what that assessment involves is worth reading before you book it.⁠¹

When is a 504 plan the better fit than an IEP?

When a child needs changes to how they learn rather than specialized instruction. An IEP provides individualized special education services under IDEA; a 504 plan provides services and changes to the learning environment so the child’s needs are met as adequately as other students’.⁠² Section 504 covers an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, and learning is one of them.⁠³ A student with a disability named in IDEA who does not need special education may still be eligible under Section 504 and receive adjustments in the regular classroom, and for a child who has an IEP, the IEP can also meet Section 504’s requirements.⁠³ More in the IEP and 504 comparison.

What should a 504 plan or IEP say about sensory needs?

Be specific. An IEP must state the special education, related services and supplementary aids and services the child receives, and the program modifications or supports for school staff, based on peer-reviewed research where practicable.⁠²¹ Related services include occupational therapy, defined as services by a qualified occupational therapist that improve, develop or restore function and the ability to perform tasks independently.⁠²⁴ Name each support, such as headphones for independent work, a scheduled movement break or a designated sensory break, say when it applies, and agree how progress is measured.⁠^1,2,20

Where do disagreements with the school go?

Disagreements over whether a program is appropriate, or over reimbursement, go through due process procedures under IDEA.⁠²³ The Office for Civil Rights generally does not review the content of a Section 504 plan or an IEP; disagreements are resolved through a due process hearing, while the Office examines whether districts follow the procedures for identifying and evaluating students.⁠³

What does the evidence say about sensory tools at school?

The tools are not equally well studied, and knowing which is which helps in a school meeting.⁠^8,10

• Weighted vests have mixed results. In a randomized crossover trial of 110 children with ADHD, a vest improved scores on a computer attention task and three of four on-task behaviors (off task, out of seat and fidgeting), but not impulse control; the authors called it “not a cure-all strategy.”⁠¹¹ A study of vests worn at school found no improvement in attention, body perception, coping or learning, and an earlier review rated the evidence limited.⁠^10,25
• Movement breaks have the most consistent support: in a review of 22 studies, time on task during lessons increased in every included study, while effects on cognitive functions and academic achievement were not conclusive.⁠⁹
• Fidget spinners made attention worse. In 60 children with ADHD, average age under five, spinners lowered activity early on but were associated with poorer attention in both phases of a classroom trial.⁠¹²
• Alternative seating such as stability balls did not improve attention, and there is little evidence on changing the sensory environment.⁠¹⁰
• Accommodations such as extended time are common but rarely tested; read-aloud tests are the exception, with two randomized experiments behind them.⁠⁸

The wider sensory treatment literature is limited too. The AAP calls the research on sensory integration therapy limited and inconclusive and encourages families to agree a trial period and a way to judge whether a therapy works, which is why changing one thing at a time makes sense.⁠²⁰ For the broader picture, see sensory processing differences.

Sources

1. Cleveland Clinic. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Health Library, last updated March 20, 2025. Checked October 11, 2026.
   Show the passageHide the passage

   “Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a difference in the way your brain understands and responds to information from your senses. This includes what you see, hear, smell, taste and touch. It can also affect your movement.” “SPD commonly affects people with neurodevelopmental and neurodivergent conditions, like autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).” “Currently, SPD isn’t an official medical diagnosis.” Symptoms include “Needing to constantly touch things”, “Not recognizing personal space” and “Reacting to sudden movements, touches, loud noises and/or bright lights”. “These professionals can assess your child for SPD by watching them interact with certain sensory experiences.” “For school-age children, your child’s occupational therapist may recommend incorporating routine sensory activities and tools at home and school”; “during school, a child with SPD may need: Access to headphones to block out background noises while they work. Access to fidget toys. A designated break to do a sensory activity, like walking, spinning or swinging.”
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ADHD in the Classroom. Cdc.gov, page dated June 1, 2026. Checked October 11, 2026.
   Show the passageHide the passage

   “Children with ADHD can do well in school with the support of parents, teachers, and school administrators working together.” “There are some school-based management strategies shown to be effective for students with ADHD”: behavioral classroom management and organizational training. Behavioral classroom management works “through a reward system or a daily report card”; “Parents report that only about 1 in 3 children with ADHD receive behavioral classroom management.” Organizational training “teaches children time management, planning skills, and ways to keep school materials organized”. An IEP “Provides individualized special education services to meet the unique needs of the child and is governed under the Federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)”; a 504 plan “Provides services and changes to the learning environment to meet the needs of the child as adequately as other students”. Accommodations: “Extra time on tests”, “Instruction and assignments tailored to the child”, “Positive reinforcement and feedback”, “Using technology to assist with tasks”, “Allowing breaks or time to move around”, “Changes to the environment to limit distraction”, “Extra help with staying organized”. “There is limited information about which types of accommodations are effective for children with ADHD.” “However, there is evidence that setting clear expectations, providing immediate positive feedback, and communicating daily with parents through a daily report card can help.” “Children with ADHD benefit when schools use positive rather than punitive disciplinary strategies.” Tips: “Be sensitive to the influence of ADHD on emotions, such as self-esteem issues or difficulty regulating feelings.” “Provide extra warnings before transitions and changes in routines.” “Understand that children with ADHD may become deeply absorbed in activities that interest them (hyper-focus) and may need extra assistance shifting their attention.” “Make assignments clear”; “Provide choices to show mastery”; “Make sure assignments are not long and repetitive.” “Allow breaks”; “for children with ADHD, paying attention takes extra effort and can be very tiring.” “Allow time to move and exercise. Minimize distractions in the classroom. Use organizational tools, such as a homework folder, to limit the number of things the child has to track.” “Observe and talk with the student about what helps or distracts them (for example, fidget tools, limiting eye contact when listening, background music, or moving while learning can be beneficial or distracting, depending on the child).” “Communicate with parents on a regular basis. Involve the school counselor or psychologist.”
3. U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. Frequently Asked Questions: Section 504 Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Ed.gov, page last reviewed June 30, 2025. Checked October 11, 2026.
   Show the passageHide the passage

   Under Section 504, “FAPE consists of the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet the student’s individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met.” Answer 4: “An appropriate education for a student with a disability under the Section 504 regulations could consist of education in regular classrooms, education in regular classes with supplementary services, and/or special education and related services.” Answer 5: “OCR generally will not evaluate the content of a Section 504 plan or of an individualized education program (IEP); rather, any disagreement can be resolved through a due process hearing.” Answer 11: major life activities “include functions such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.” Answer 23: “A physician’s medical diagnosis may be considered among other sources”, including “aptitude and achievement tests, teacher recommendations, physical condition, social and cultural background, and adaptive behavior”. Answer 24: “A medical diagnosis of an illness does not automatically mean a student can receive services under Section 504. The illness must cause a substantial limitation on the student’s ability to learn or another major life activity.” Answer 25: “The results of an outside independent evaluation may be one of many sources to consider.” Answer 32: “The student may be eligible for services under Section 504”; “such a student may receive adjustments in the regular classroom.” Answer 35: “one way to meet Section 504 requirements for a free appropriate public education is to implement an IEP.” Answer 38: “Regular education teachers must implement the provisions of Section 504 plans when those plans govern the teachers’ treatment of students for whom they are responsible. If the teachers fail to implement the plans, such failure can cause the school district to be in noncompliance with Section 504.” Answer 41: “OCR has accepted written consent as compliance.”
4. U.S. Department of Education. 34 CFR 300.115 Continuum of alternative placements. IDEA regulations, sites.ed.gov, last modified July 7, 2017. Checked October 11, 2026.
   Show the passageHide the passage

   “Each public agency must ensure that a continuum of alternative placements is available to meet the needs of children with disabilities for special education and related services.” The continuum must “Include the alternative placements listed in the definition of special education under 300.39 (instruction in regular classes, special classes, special schools, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions); and (2) Make provision for supplementary services (such as resource room or itinerant instruction) to be provided in conjunction with regular class placement.”
5. Miller LJ, Nielsen DM, Schoen SA. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and sensory modulation disorder: a comparison of behavior and physiology. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 2012;33(3):804–818. PMID 22236629. Checked October 11, 2026.
   Show the passageHide the passage

   The abstract: “Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are impulsive, inattentive and hyperactive, while children with sensory modulation disorder (SMD), one subtype of Sensory Processing Disorder, have difficulty responding adaptively to daily sensory experiences. ADHD and SMD are often difficult to distinguish.” “Inattention was greater in ADHD compared to SMD. Dual diagnoses had more sensory-related behaviors than ADHD and more attentional difficulties than SMD. SMD had more sensory issues, somatic complaints, anxiety/depression, and difficulty adapting than ADHD. SMD had greater physiological/electrodermal reactivity to sensory stimuli than ADHD and typical controls.” “Evidence suggests ADHD and SMD are distinct diagnoses.”
6. Wolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, Chan E, Davison D, Earls M, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2019;144(4):e20192528. PMID 31570648. Checked October 11, 2026.
   Show the passageHide the passage

   Key action statement 5b: “Educational interventions and individualized instructional supports, including school environment, class placement, instructional placement, and behavioral supports, are a necessary part of any treatment plan and often include an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a rehabilitation plan (504 plan).”
7. Ghanizadeh A. Sensory processing problems in children with ADHD, a systematic review. Psychiatry Investigation. 2011;8(2):89–94. PMID 21852983. Checked October 11, 2026.
   Show the passageHide the passage

   “a systematic search ... yielded 255 abstracts on sensory processing problems in children including 11 studies about sensory problems in children with ADHD”; “Sensory processing problems in children with ADHD are more common than in typically developing children.” “co-morbidity with oppositional defiant disorder and anxiety are predictors of more severe sensory processing problems in children with ADHD.”
8. Lovett BJ, Nelson JM. Systematic review: educational accommodations for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2021;60(4):448–457. PMID 32745597. Checked October 11, 2026.
   Show the passageHide the passage

   The abstract: “Accommodations are by far the most common response to ADHD in educational settings, with testing accommodations such as extended time being particularly prevalent. However, most accommodations fail to show evidence of benefits that are specific to students with ADHD, and many of the more common accommodations have few or no experimental studies supporting them. An exception is read-aloud accommodations, which have two randomized experiments finding specific benefits for younger students with ADHD.” “educational accommodations should only be provided along with evidence-based interventions, or after interventions have failed”.
9. Masini A, Marini S, Gori D, Leoni E, Rochira A, Dallolio L. Evaluation of school-based interventions of active breaks in primary schools: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2020;23(4):377–384. PMID 31722840. Checked October 11, 2026.
   Show the passageHide the passage

   The abstract: “22 intervention studies meeting the inclusion criteria”; “Regarding classroom behavior, time spent on task (TOT) during lessons significantly increased in each of the included studies. On the other hand, the effects on (iii) cognitive functions (attention components, working memory, executive functions) and (iv) academic achievements (mathematics, reading) were not conclusive.”
10. Piller A, McHugh Conlin J, Glennon TJ, Andelin L, Auld-Wright K, Teng K, Tarver T. Systematic review of sensory-based interventions for children and youth (2015–2024). Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2025;13:1720179. PMID 41321460. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    “Twenty-one studies were included. Strong strength of evidence supported use of deep pressure tactile input and caregiver training on the use of sensory strategies. Moderate strength of evidence supported that alternative seating did not improve attention.” “There is a lack of evidence on the impact of sensory environmental modifications.” “Weighted vest wearing did not significantly improve attention, body perception, coping skills or learning when worn in the school setting, as demonstrated by a Level II study with low risk of bias”. “One study (34) examined the use of stability balls in the school setting and found no significant improvements in productivity or seatwork. In another study in the school setting (32), participants did not show any significant improvements in attention while sitting on cube chairs or T-stools.” “noise-cancelling headphones (44) were not found to impact auditory participation goals. However, Ikuta and colleagues (44) did find significant improvements in auditory-related goals with earmuff use. This indicates that particular tools, headphones vs. earmuffs, may change effectiveness”.
11. Lin HY, Lee P, Chang WD, Hong FY. Effects of weighted vests on attention, impulse control, and on-task behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2014;68(2):149–158. PMID 24581401. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    The abstract: “In a randomized, two-period crossover design, 110 children with ADHD were measured using the Conners’ Continuous Performance Test-II (CPT-II) task.” “In the weighted vest condition, the participants did show significant improvement in all three attentional variables of the CPT-II task” and “three of four on-task behaviors, including off task, out of seat, and fidgets. No significant improvements in impulse control and automatic vocalizations were found. CONCLUSION. Although wearing a weighted vest is not a cure-all strategy, our findings support the use of the weighted vest to remedy attentional and on-task behavioral problems of children with ADHD.”
12. Graziano PA, Garcia AM, Landis TD. To fidget or not to fidget, that is the question: a systematic classroom evaluation of fidget spinners among young children with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders. 2020;24(1):163–171. PMID 29676193. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    The abstract: “Using an A-B-A-B design, 60 children (Mage = 4.86 years, 83% Hispanic) diagnosed with ADHD participated in the study.” “During the initial phase of treatment (but not during the final phase), the use of fidget spinners was associated with a decrease in activity levels. Children’s use of fidget spinners was associated with poorer attention across both phases of treatment.”
13. U.S. Department of Education. 34 CFR 300.8 Child with a disability. IDEA regulations, sites.ed.gov, last modified May 25, 2018. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    Paragraph (a)(1) names intellectual disability, hearing impairment (including deafness), speech or language impairment, visual impairment, emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, “an other health impairment”, specific learning disability, deaf-blindness and multiple disabilities, for a child “who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services”; paragraph (c) defines 13 terms, from autism to visual impairment. (a)(2)(i): a child who “only needs a related service and not special education, the child is not a child with a disability under this part.” (c)(1)(i): autism’s “Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.” (c)(9): “Other health impairment means having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that (i) Is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” ... “and (ii) Adversely affects a child’s educational performance.”
14. U.S. Department of Education. 34 CFR 300.301 Initial evaluations. IDEA regulations, sites.ed.gov, last modified May 3, 2017. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    “either a parent of a child or a public agency may initiate a request for an initial evaluation to determine if the child is a child with a disability.” The initial evaluation “(i) Must be conducted within 60 days of receiving parental consent for the evaluation; or (ii) If the State establishes a timeframe within which the evaluation must be conducted, within that timeframe” and must “determine if the child is a child with a disability under 300.8; and ... determine the educational needs of the child.”
15. U.S. Department of Education. 34 CFR 300.323 When IEPs must be in effect. IDEA regulations, sites.ed.gov, last modified July 12, 2017. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    (d): “The child’s IEP is accessible to each regular education teacher, special education teacher, related services provider, and any other service provider who is responsible for its implementation; and (2) Each teacher and provider described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section is informed of (i) His or her specific responsibilities related to implementing the child’s IEP; and (ii) The specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided for the child in accordance with the IEP.”
16. U.S. Department of Education. 34 CFR 300.114 LRE requirements. IDEA regulations, sites.ed.gov, last modified May 3, 2017. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    “To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities ... are educated with children who are nondisabled; and (ii) Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.”
17. U.S. Department of Education. 34 CFR 300.137 Equitable services determined. IDEA regulations, sites.ed.gov, last modified May 3, 2017. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    “No parentally-placed private school child with a disability has an individual right to receive some or all of the special education and related services that the child would receive if enrolled in a public school.” “The LEA must make the final decisions with respect to the services to be provided to eligible parentally-placed private school children with disabilities.”
18. STAR Institute for Sensory Processing. Understanding the Sensory Integration Process. Sensoryhealth.org, undated. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    “Some register everything around them with the same level of intensity.” “the teacher’s voice, the ticking of the clock, the buzzing of the air conditioner, and the bell signaling time for transition may all be equally intense, all ‘vying for the attention’ of the individual.” “you can have heightened sensitivity to some sensory systems and reduced in others. You may even have some higher and lower responsivity within one system”.
19. STAR Institute for Sensory Processing. Your 8 Senses. Sensoryhealth.org, undated. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    The page lists “The five basic sensory systems” (visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile), “The three sensory systems Ayres focused on in describing sensory integration dysfunction” (tactile, vestibular, proprioceptive) and “The most recently discussed set of sensations related to internal organs” (interoception). “The eighth, often neglected, but frequently problematic sensory system in SPD is the Interoceptive System. Interoception refers to sensations related to the physiological/physical condition of the body. Interoceptors are internal sensors that provide a sense of what our internal organs are feeling. Hunger and thirst are examples of interoception.” “Interoception detects responses that guide regulation, including hunger, heart rate, respiration and elimination.” “The same is true for hunger and thirst, as well as the feeling of the need to urinate or have a bowel movement.” “Interoception is associated with autonomic motor control, and is different than mechano-reception (in the skin) and proprioception (in the muscles and joints). Interoception is located in the dorsal posterior insula and it creates distinct feelings from the body including pain, temperature, itch, muscular and visceral sensations, vasomotor activity, hunger, thirst, and the need for air.” Vestibular: “The vestibular system contributes to balance and orientation in space. It is the leading system informing us about movement and position of head relative to gravity.” Proprioception: “senses the position, location, orientation, and movement of the body muscles and joints. Proprioception provides us with the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body and effort used to move body parts.”
20. Zimmer M, Desch L; Section on Complementary and Integrative Medicine; Council on Children with Disabilities; American Academy of Pediatrics. Sensory integration therapies for children with developmental and behavioral disorders. Pediatrics. 2012;129(6):1186–1189. PMID 22641765. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    The abstract: “Because there is no universally accepted framework for diagnosis, sensory processing disorder generally should not be diagnosed. Other developmental and behavioral disorders must always be considered, and a thorough evaluation should be completed. Difficulty tolerating or processing sensory information is a characteristic that may be seen in many developmental behavioral disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, developmental coordination disorders, and childhood anxiety disorders.” “parents should be informed that the amount of research regarding the effectiveness of sensory integration therapy is limited and inconclusive. Important roles for pediatricians and other clinicians may include discussing these limitations with parents, talking with families about a trial period of sensory integration therapy, and teaching families how to evaluate the effectiveness of a therapy.”
21. U.S. Department of Education. 34 CFR 300.320 Definition of individualized education program. IDEA regulations, sites.ed.gov, last modified July 12, 2017. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    (a)(4): “A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided” so the child can “be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children”; (a)(5): “An explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class”.
22. U.S. Department of Education. 34 CFR 300.209 Treatment of charter schools and their students. IDEA regulations, sites.ed.gov, last modified May 3, 2017. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    “Children with disabilities who attend public charter schools and their parents retain all rights under this part.” For charter schools that are public schools of the LEA, the LEA must “Serve children with disabilities attending those charter schools in the same manner as the LEA serves children with disabilities in its other schools”.
23. U.S. Department of Education. 34 CFR 300.148 Placement of children by parents when FAPE is at issue. IDEA regulations, sites.ed.gov, last modified May 3, 2017. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    “This part does not require an LEA to pay for the cost of education ... of a child with a disability at a private school or facility if that agency made FAPE available to the child and the parents elected to place the child in a private school or facility.” “Disagreements between the parents and a public agency regarding the availability of a program appropriate for the child, and the question of financial reimbursement, are subject to the due process procedures”. A court or hearing officer may order reimbursement “if the court or hearing officer finds that the agency had not made FAPE available to the child in a timely manner prior to that enrollment and that the private placement is appropriate.” It may be reduced or denied if, at the last IEP meeting, the parents “did not inform the IEP Team that they were rejecting the placement proposed by the public agency” or if, “At least ten (10) business days ... prior to the removal of the child from the public school, the parents did not give written notice to the public agency”.
24. U.S. Department of Education. 34 CFR 300.34 Related services. IDEA regulations, sites.ed.gov, last modified May 2, 2017. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    “Related services means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, and includes speech-language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy” ... (c)(6): “Occupational therapy (i) Means services provided by a qualified occupational therapist; and (ii) Includes (A) Improving, developing, or restoring functions impaired or lost through illness, injury, or deprivation; (B) Improving ability to perform tasks for independent functioning if functions are impaired or lost”.
25. Bodison SC, Parham LD. Specific sensory techniques and sensory environmental modifications for children and youth with sensory integration difficulties: a systematic review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2018;72(1):7201190040. PMID 29280714. Checked October 11, 2026.
    Show the passageHide the passage

    The abstract: “Eight studies met inclusion criteria.” “Strong evidence supported Qigong massage, moderate evidence supported sensory modifications to the dental care environment, and limited evidence supported weighted vests.”

Medical disclaimer. This page is for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your child.