How to talk to a teacher about your child's sensory needs

Whether or not a formal plan is in place, most day-to-day accommodations depend on one conversation going well: the one with the classroom teacher. A little preparation tends to make that conversation shorter and more productive for everyone.

Before the conversation

• Write down two or three specific situations, not a general impression — “gets overwhelmed during fire drills” is more useful than “has sensory issues”
• Note what has helped before, even informally, at home or elsewhere
• Bring any existing documentation — an IEP, a 504 Plan, or an OT’s written recommendation, if one exists

What to actually say

Framing the request around what helps the student participate, rather than around a diagnosis or label, tends to land better with teachers who are balancing many students and may not have specific sensory-processing background. “It helps him to have headphones during the assembly” is more actionable than “he has auditory sensitivity.”

Follow up in writing

After a verbal conversation, a short follow-up email summarizing what was agreed — even a few lines — creates a record that survives a change in schedule, substitute teacher, or the next school year. This is worth doing even for informal accommodations with no other documentation behind them.

If it isn’t working

If informal conversations aren’t resulting in real changes, that is when to ask about a formal evaluation — covered in the companion article on how school-based OT works — which creates accommodations the school is legally required to follow.