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Consultant Psychologist Dr Bijal Chheda has outlined seven behaviors — from classroom fidgeting to after-school exhaustion — that may signal sensory overload rather than misbehaviour. She stresses none of the signs is diagnostic on its own and recurring patterns affecting learning warrant professional advice.
Behaviours often read as misbehaviour — fidgeting in class, battling over a school uniform, or melting down over small disappointments — may in some children point to sensory overload, according to Dr Bijal Chheda, a Consultant Psychologist and Founder of Nos Curare, whose guidance was published by parenting site MadeForMums. The report lists seven specific signs parents can watch for, while cautioning that none of them, on its own, confirms the condition.
Dr Chheda’s seven signs are: struggling to focus in class despite concentrating well at home; finding the school uniform physically unbearable; constant fidgeting; meltdowns that seem out of proportion to their trigger; particular difficulty in school assemblies; repeated complaints of tummy aches; and appearing completely exhausted after school.
The psychologist frames each sign as a possible response to an environment that overloads the senses. A classroom combines background chatter, movement and other competing distractions, which she says can make focusing far harder than it is during quiet activities at home. Fidgeting, she explains, can be an instinctive regulatory response: movements send signals from the muscles and joints to the brain that help some children self-regulate and concentrate. Similarly, she says prolonged overload can leave a child’s nervous system in a heightened state of alert, so a meltdown may arrive only after hours of coping with an overwhelming setting.
The report also suggests practical adjustments once triggers are identified, including noise-cancelling headphones for assemblies, access to quieter spaces, softer layers worn under uniforms, removing irritating labels, purposeful fidget tools, and a predictable after-school routine with quiet decompression time before questioning a child about their day.
Why Behaviour May Not Be the Whole Story
The guidance matters because behaviours like fidgeting, uniform complaints and after-school meltdowns are frequently treated as discipline problems or fussiness. Dr Chheda’s framing shifts attention to the environment and the child’s sensory experience, giving parents and teachers a different starting point: identifying triggers — a noisy lunch hall, a scratchy seam, an assembly hall — rather than reacting to the behaviour alone.
The report also has practical value for the school relationship. It advises parents to speak with the school to check whether teachers are observing the same triggers and patterns, which can turn a behaviour conversation into a shared problem-solving exercise. For families whose children have undiagnosed sensory needs, small adjustments — headphones, clothing changes, quiet time — may reduce daily strain without any formal intervention.
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Sensory overload occurs when the sights, sounds and physical sensations of an ordinary environment overwhelm a child’s capacity to process them, and Dr Chheda notes it does not always look obvious from the outside. The report states that heightened sensory sensitivity is common among autistic children, and advises parents concerned about wider development to discuss possible autism assessment with a healthcare professional.
The guidance repeatedly stresses differential explanations. Persistent attention difficulties, it notes, can stem from ADHD or specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and should not automatically be attributed to sensory causes. Repeated stomach aches and fatigue can also have medical explanations unrelated to sensory processing.
“There are several ways sensory overload can show up at school, including some signs parents may not immediately connect with their child’s senses.”
— Dr Bijal Chheda, Consultant Psychologist and Founder of Nos Curare
What the Signs Do Not Prove
The report is explicit that none of the seven signs is diagnostic. Concentration difficulties, meltdowns, physical symptoms and tiredness can all have multiple explanations, and Dr Chheda cautions against automatically attributing them to sensory overload. The guidance is based on one psychologist’s clinical perspective rather than a peer-reviewed study, and the MadeForMums article does not cite prevalence data or outcome research. Whether a particular child’s behaviour is sensory-related, developmental, medical or environmental remains a question requiring individual professional assessment.
The report also notes that persistent or worrying stomach pain should be discussed with a healthcare professional rather than assumed to have a sensory cause, and that ongoing attention difficulties may reflect ADHD or learning difficulties instead.
Steps for Concerned Parents
For parents noticing a recurring pattern, the report sets out a sequence: first, track the behaviour against specific environments and moments — noisy classrooms, busy lunch halls, assemblies, changes of routine. Second, speak to the school to compare observations with teachers and identify shared triggers. Third, where a pattern is affecting the child’s learning, wellbeing or ability to cope with school, seek professional advice to establish what is contributing — which may include assessment for sensory processing difficulties, ADHD, autism or other causes. Small adjustments, from clothing changes to quiet spaces, can be trialled in the meantime.
Key Questions
Does fidgeting in class mean my child has sensory overload?
No. Dr Chheda says fidgeting can be a way some children self-regulate, but it is not diagnostic on its own. If movement regularly interferes with learning, the report recommends seeking professional advice to understand what is driving it.
How is sensory overload different from ADHD or autism?
They are distinct but can overlap. The report notes persistent attention difficulties can also reflect ADHD or dyslexia, and that heightened sensory sensitivity is common among autistic children. A professional assessment is the way to distinguish between them.
What practical adjustments does the psychologist suggest?
Suggested steps include noise-cancelling headphones or quieter spaces for assemblies, softer under-layers or removing irritating labels from uniforms, purposeful fidget tools, and a predictable after-school routine with quiet decompression time.
Should I be worried about repeated tummy aches before school?
The report says they should not be automatically dismissed as school avoidance, since stress can produce genuine physical discomfort — but persistent or worrying stomach pain should be discussed with a healthcare professional rather than assumed to be sensory-related.
When should parents seek professional help?
According to the guidance, when a recurring pattern is affecting the child’s learning, wellbeing or ability to cope with school. Talking to the school first can help confirm whether teachers are seeing the same triggers.
Source: rss
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