“It’s too hard!” The Impact of School on Children with Identified Sensory Processing Difficulties

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this research is to tell the distinct stories of two primary school children with identified Sensory Processing Difficulties (SPD) whilst exploring broader narratives around the impact of school life upon their wellbeing.Methods: Observations, a photographic tour, and semi-structured interviews were used to produce qualitative data. Critical narrative inquiry was used to explore the data, which was combined into a ‘master story’. This was then further analyzed to identify over-arching ‘meta-narrative themes’.Results: Three over-arching meta-narrative themes emerged from the children’s stories. These were ‘fear of exposure’; ‘polarisation’; and ‘social connections’.Conclusions: Findings support a context-bound approach to meeting the needs of children identified with SPD and emphasize the multifaceted impact of the school environment on social emotional health and wellbeing. The findings have implications for how children with identified SPD are screened, assessed and treated.<br/