Embodiment in a School Setting: Part 2 of miniseries
Introduction
Hi, my name is Georgia and I’m a nutrition student currently on a placement with Body Happy Org. I was diagnosed with autism as an adult, which impacted my interoception at a young age, as I did not fully understand my body or senses.
In the previous blog post we explored what embodiment and interoception are, and how they can be different for those of us who are neurodivergent. We looked at some of the challenges and limitations people may face in practising embodiment, such as the judgement and stigma that can be associated with stimming and the a lack of understanding around neurodiversity.
For this blog, we’ll explore how embodiment may influence the school experience.
Students experience
Milner et al found that neurodiverse students are more likely to have a negative experience at school. 70% of autistic students said that they felt misunderstood by their peers, and 50% believed that teachers also did not understand their neurodiversity.
The fear of being bullied or judged by their peers can make neurodiverse students more likely to mask their behaviour and traits. This fear comes from being forced to live in a neurotypical world – a world that was not designed for them. For many, having to navigate unspoken social behaviour and rules, plus the added demands of processing the sensory stimuli around (from noisy classrooms to chaotic food canteens) can be exhausting and overwhelming. This can be especially true for a student who is also having to study and prepare for exams.
This pressure to function in an unsuitable environment can lead to increased mental health struggles, sensory overload and fatigue. What is perceived as “challenging behaviour” in a classroom, may actually be someone just struggling to cope with the demands of the environment and the sense of not feeling good enough. In school, I related to the feeling of being behind my peers, having to work extra hard just to keep up with the pace of the set curriculum. I nearly failed my Mock GCSEs and, without the help of an English tutor, I would not have passed.
The lack of understanding and support can put neurodiverse students at a disadvantage compared to their peers. It’s a complex issue, requiring systemic solutions, and can’t be blamed on individual teachers themselves who are often doing their best in a system that may not accommodate the needs of a wide range of learners (1).
Teachers Experience
Current conversations in the education sector around SEND provision are highlighting some of these challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic along with increasing SEND need and decreasing budgets (with almost £1 billion deficit in schools’ funds) all play a role (2).
These financial challenges can mean that teachers' ability to help and identify SEND students is limited. Recent data suggests that as children get older their chances of being identified for SEND aid decrease. For boys in year 1 it goes from 11% to 0.7% in year 11. And for girls in year 1 it goes from 5.4% to 1.0 % in year 11.
These cuts can lead to neurodivergent students being disadvantaged in their opportunity to succeed in school compared to their neurotypical peers. For example, 17% of GCSE failures are linked to cognitive and behaviour challenges in childhood. The system has meant that in some cases, schools are focusing on supporting high achieving students rather than minority or disadvantaged students (3).
In addition to budget struggles, teachers are also faced with heavy workloads – with lots of paperwork, limited time to prepare lesson plans and materials and low staff to student ratio numbers. All of this means that many teachers are not fully supported to take the time to consider the varying complex needs for all students. The demand to teach one curriculum to a diverse population of students is challenging and does not support catering to students of different abilities and learning styles.
This can leave teachers feeling discouraged, stressed and a sense of failure for the students, as they do not have the resources to provide equal opportunities for everyone to excel (4).
How this might impact emobodiment
These challenges within the education system can impact embodiment for students, due to the demanding and stressful environment. For example, not having the space or opportunity to engage in mindful activities can lead to burnout and stress for some students, as our cognitive functions are not given a break. This can be especially relevant when we consider the huge amount of information that must be absorbed in a short time. In school, students are often made to sit for at least six hours day with limited movement breaks, learning seven to nine different subjects that they get tested on in their final year. Forcing students to cram all this information does not often reflect in truly understanding that information, meaning that exams can become a memory test instead of allowing students to grow and build their knowledge (5). Alongside the long periods of sedentary indoor behaviour, this can negatively impact mental and physical health, impacting their ability to engage in learning. This is particularly significant for those with sensory seeking needs.
Providing sensory inclusive spaces and resources is an important factor in enhancing learning for all students. These resources can improve focus and class participation and give neurodivergent students sensory stimulation to aid their learning experience. Imagine having to sit in one spot all day, barely moving, especially in our current climate of constant stimulation from our phones… then we might see why many children can struggle so much. This can be even more of a factor for a student who is living in an under-resourced area, with limited access to outside spaces and opportunities to move, play and connect with themselves and nature - all important features of an environment that supports embodiment (7).
SEND specialists are needed to help schools adapt their environments, and with limited budgets it’s not always possible for adaptions to be made. This can impact on all students’ personal performance and wellbeing. In my own experience, my favourite English teacher decided to leave during my time at school, due to the mental strain it took on him teaching. He wanted to provide the time to teach everyone in class equally but this extra time is something the school system does not allow. This isn’t the fault of the individual teachers who are working within an often over-stretched system without the specialist knowledge of a SEND specialist (8).
Need for systemic change
These experiences and issues demonstrate that the problem is not the individual but the system in which they are forced to work and learn in. Change is needed in order to promote educational equality, and provide inclusive learning environments that support learning and embodiment for all.
In the next blog, taking these factors into consideration, I will describe positive strategies and solutions to help encourage change in how we understand neurodiversity in schools, providing inclusive spaces to enable everyone to practice embodiment.
References:
Milner, V. Mohamed, L. Happe, F. 2025. ‘Beyond the Stereotype’: Neurodivergent Students’ Experience and Peer and Teacher Understanding of Neurodiversity in a Mainstream Girls’ School. Neurodiversity.
Jeffreys, B. Rhodes, H. 2024. Fears for children as special educational needs budgets tightens. BBC News.
Harris, S. 2025. News, research & insights. The Poverty Guy.
Warnes, E. Done, E. Knowler, H. 2021. Mainstream teachers’ concern about inclusive education needs and disability in England under pre-pandemic conditions. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. 22(1), 31-43.
Stafford, T. 2014. Memory: why cramming for tests often fails. BBC Future.
Lander, N. Ayala, A. Mazzoli, E. Lai, S. Orr, J. Salmon, J. 2024. Beyond “Brain Breaks”: A New Model for Intergrating Classroom-Based Active Breaks. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance .22-30.
Lee, S. Lee, C. Xu, M. Li, W. Ory, M. 2022. People in living in disadvantaged areas faced greater challenges in staying active and using recreational facilities during COVID-19 pandemic. Health & Place. 75.
Ofsted. 2021. Some pupils with SEND missing out on specialist support. Special educational needs and disability (SEND) and high needs. Press release.
