“I don’t know why other kids can ignore that stuff, I just know that I can’t” - Children Bring Sensory Differences to Life Through New School Animation

A new animation co-produced and voiced by local young people is helping schools better understand sensory differences and create more inclusive learning environments in Hull and East Riding. Training is now available for Hull schools to access which supports learning more about how to improve the experience of children with sensory differences within the school setting. Online resources are also available for schools outside of Hull providing supportive advice and signposting.

The animation, The Senses at School: Helping Me Grow, has been developed by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust's Sensory Service as part of the national Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme.

PINS is a national initiative that aims to improve support for neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream education through closer partnership working between health, education, local authorities and parent carers.

Locally, the programme is being delivered through a partnership involving the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust and the Hull and East Riding Parent and Carer Forum.

A key feature of the project has been the involvement of young people who have accessed the Trust's Sensory Service. Working alongside professionals, they helped shape the animation's messages and shared their experiences to ensure the content reflects what sensory differences can feel like in a school environment. The young people also provided the voiceover, bringing authenticity and lived experience to the finished film.

Sensory processing differences can present differently at home and school, and every child will present with a different set of difficulties.

Local school child Archie is part of the video and voices what it feels like being overwhelmed due to sensory processing differences, “I don’t know why other kids can ignore that stuff, I just know that I can’t”.

The animation aims to raise awareness of sensory differences for school staff including teachers, teaching assistants, lunch staff and everyone who comes into contact with a child in school. The intention is to create greater understanding of how sensory experiences can affect learning, wellbeing and participation in everyday school life as well as

Sally Ward, Clinical Lead for the Sensory Processing Service at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust said, "This project has been shaped by the voices of young people from the very beginning. Their insights, experiences and creativity have helped us develop a resource that we hope will make a real difference in schools by increasing understanding and supporting inclusion."

Since its launch, the animation has been shared across the local area and has received positive feedback from educational settings as well as parents and carers. The Trust hopes the resource will continue to reach a wider audience and support schools in creating environments where neurodivergent children and young people can thrive. The animation, The Senses at School: Helping Me Grow, is available to view online and forms part of the ongoing work to improve inclusion and outcomes for children and young people across Hull and the East Riding.

The video is part of a range of online resources that any school can access. For schools in Hull, they can also access training sessions from the Trust’s Sensory Service with the next session planned for September 2026. Further details of how to access this training and the online resources can all be found on the service’s website - https://connect.humber.nhs.uk/service/humber-sensory-processing-hub/sensory-processing-in-learning/