Sensory-Friendly School Spirit Week
In many schools around the country, there is a certain atmosphere in the air as Thanksgiving approaches…an atmosphere that can only mean one thing…school spirit week.
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Spirit Week is a time where the student body comes together to show their school pride in a variety of ways from activities to large student gatherings in the gymnasium or auditorium. Yes, it it an exciting time for students…except for those with sensory issues like myself.
Now, before I go into any further detail, please know that I am NOT meaning to be a party pooper. It’s just that there are students who have sensory or who are neurodiverse and don’t like school spirit week and I am just spreading awareness that there are other ways to mark spirit week on their level.
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For one thing, sensory friendly students will see other students wearing costumes and colors that may otherwise be distracting or bothersome. Yes, I get the fact that some schools will have students wear colors that are meant to celebrate school or class pride, but sensory friendly students may otherwise not take them as they are meant to be.
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Next, there is also the matter of large school gatherings. When I was in high school, we all gathered in the gymnasium at the end of each day of spirit week and watched and cheered students as they faced off in a variety of activities. Personally, as fun as they were, I didn’t really care for them. I would put on a mask and just try to go along with the activities that were going on.
Now, there are alternatives for sensory friendly students to enjoy spirit week. For one thing, maybe while the students are gathered for a spirit week related event, have the student go to an alternate area and just watch the events unfold on television if the school allows for closed circuit airing of their events.
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Another option would be that perhaps the best way would just lay low throughout the entire week. Have the student stay in a classroom with their aide or teacher and just do other activites with them. The student may find spirit week to be nothing more than stressful and it’s up to the teacher and the aides to take that edge off the student.
The last thing anyone would want during spirit week is for the student to have a panic attack that attracts the attention of other students in the school.
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Finally, the principal, the teacher and the aides can come together to create their own spirit week just for the students who are neurodiverse or sensory friendly. Have the spirit week activities promote acceptance of autism and neurodiversity in addition to the other themes that each class or school is installing.
The message would be that other students would take notice and get the urge to join in the special group that is trying to get into the spirit week activities in their own way.
Remember, School Spirit Week can be bothersome for sensory friendly students, but we can take some of the anxiety or the edge off by having other students be accepting of who we are!!
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Catch you all later!!
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