How Do Sensory Needs Show Up in Nursery and Early Years?

Published 9 May 2026

Learn Without Limits CIC - Sensory Needs and the ALN System - Article 3

This article is part of our Sensory Needs and the ALN System series.

It follows on from:

What Are Sensory Needs, and Why Do They Matter in the ALN System?

and

How Do I Ask for a Sensory, OT or Related Assessment in Wales?

This article provides general information for families in Wales. It is not medical, legal, therapeutic or safeguarding advice. If a child may be injured, unwell, unsafe, at risk, or in crisis, parents and carers should seek appropriate professional or emergency help.

Why early years sensory needs matter

Sensory needs do not usually begin when a child starts school.

For many children, the signs are already there in babyhood, toddlerhood, childminding, nursery, playgroup, Flying Start, childcare or early education.

The difficulty is that early sensory needs are very easy to misread.

A child may be described as:

clingy;
fussy;
difficult;
stubborn;
delayed;
anxious;
rough;
overactive;
avoidant;
hard to settle;
badly behaved;
not ready for nursery;
“just needing firmer boundaries”.

Sometimes those descriptions may point to ordinary developmental variation. Sometimes they may point to communication needs, sleep difficulties, anxiety, developmental delay, autism, ADHD, trauma, health issues, feeding issues, pain or other factors.

But sometimes sensory needs are part of the picture and nobody has joined the dots yet.

That matters because the earlier adults understand the pattern, the sooner they can stop blaming the child or parent and start asking better questions.

Sensory needs are not just “not liking things”

In early years, sensory needs can affect ordinary daily routines.

They may affect:

feeding;
weaning;
sleep;
nappies;
toileting;
clothing;
shoes and socks;
washing;
hair brushing;
toothbrushing;
messy play;
nursery transitions;
circle time;
snack time;
lunch;
outdoor play;
group activities;
noise;
smells;
touch;
lights;
movement;
separation;
family outings;
medical appointments;
play with other children.

A child may not yet have the language to explain:

“the hand dryer hurts my ears”;
“the label feels painful”;
“the lunch room smells too strong”;
“I feel sick when the room is noisy”;
“I do not know where my body is in space”;
“I cannot tell I need the toilet until it is too late”;
“I am hungry but I cannot recognise the feeling”;
“I need to move because my body feels wrong”;
“I am frightened because this room is too bright and too busy”.

Instead, adults may see crying, running, hiding, hitting, biting, refusal, shutdown, stripping clothes off, throwing food, climbing, crashing, freezing, or falling apart after nursery.

The behaviour may be visible. The sensory trigger may be hidden.

What early sensory needs can look like

Every child is different. A child may avoid some sensory input, seek other sensory input, or have a mixed profile.

Sound

Sound-related sensory needs may look like:

covering ears;
crying when other children shout;
fear of hand dryers, hoovers, alarms, music or busy rooms;
distress at nursery drop-off if the room is already noisy;
struggling during singing, parties or group activities;
hiding under furniture;
becoming aggressive when overwhelmed by noise;
coping in a quiet room but not in a busy nursery room;
appearing not to listen when the child is actually overloaded.

A child may pass a hearing test but still struggle to tolerate or process everyday sound.

Touch

Touch-related sensory needs may look like:

distress with labels, seams, socks, shoes or coats;
refusing dressing or undressing;
distress with nappy changes or toileting;
resisting sun cream, washing, toothbrushing or hair brushing;
avoiding messy play, glue, paint, sand or water;
reacting strongly to accidental touch from other children;
seeking deep pressure, tight hugs or being wrapped up;
pushing or leaning into adults or other children.

This is often misread as fussiness, defiance or poor boundaries.

Movement and balance

Vestibular needs are linked to balance and movement.

They may look like:

fear of swings, slides, climbing frames or stairs;
distress when lifted, tipped back or moved unexpectedly;
motion sickness;
avoiding outdoor play;
constantly spinning, jumping, climbing or rocking;
running without seeming to notice danger;
becoming dysregulated after active play;
falling more often than expected;
seeking movement in ways that look unsafe.

A child may avoid movement because it feels frightening, or seek movement because their body needs more input to feel organised.

Body awareness

Proprioceptive needs are linked to body awareness, force and position.

They may look like:

bumping into furniture or other children;
crashing into cushions, walls or adults;
falling from chairs;
using too much force;
hugging too hard;
biting or chewing;
breaking toys accidentally;
struggling with cutlery;
pressing too hard with crayons;
seeming “rough” in play;
struggling to sit upright;
climbing or jumping repeatedly.

This is one of the places where a young child can be unfairly labelled as naughty or aggressive, when the child may be struggling to judge their body, space or force.

That does not mean unsafe behaviour should be ignored. It means adults should ask what support, supervision and sensory input the child needs to play safely.

Internal body signals

Interoception is about noticing internal body signals, such as hunger, thirst, pain, temperature, tiredness, nausea, toileting signals and body signs of emotion.

Interoceptive differences may look like:

not noticing hunger or thirst;
sudden distress that seems to come from nowhere;
toileting accidents;
not noticing they are cold or too hot;
not showing pain in the expected way;
becoming very distressed but not knowing why;
struggling to settle for sleep;
difficulty recognising tiredness;
not being able to explain feeling sick or uncomfortable.

In young children, this can be especially hard to spot because adults may assume the child is “just dysregulated” or “having a tantrum”. Sometimes the child may be overwhelmed by internal signals they cannot recognise or explain.

Taste and smell

Taste and smell differences may look like:

very restricted eating;
gagging at smells or textures;
refusing nursery snacks or meals;
avoiding rooms where food is being prepared;
distress around strong smells, cleaning products or toilets;
eating only familiar foods;
distress when food touches other food;
avoiding parties or group eating;
relying heavily on “safe foods”.

Serious eating concerns should not be dismissed as “just sensory”. If there are concerns about weight, growth, hydration, choking, swallowing, gagging, vomiting, nutrition, PICA or extreme food restriction, parents should seek appropriate clinical advice.

Why childminders and nursery staff may see different things

A child may present differently at home, with a childminder, in nursery, with grandparents, in shops, in the car, at playgroup or in a medical appointment.

That does not automatically mean anyone is wrong.

Different environments place different demands on the child.

A child may cope at home because:

routines are familiar;
smells are predictable;
clothing choices are flexible;
noise is lower;
the child can retreat;
adults know the child’s cues;
food is familiar;
transitions are slower.

The same child may struggle at nursery because:

there are more children;
noise is unpredictable;
adults change;
rooms are visually busy;
there are more transitions;
snacks and meals are different;
messy play is expected;
personal space is harder;
the child has to wait;
the child has to share;
the child has to manage group routines.

Or the pattern may be the other way round.

A child may “hold it together” in nursery, then collapse at home because home is where they finally stop masking. Another child may cope with a childminder’s smaller setting but become overwhelmed in a larger nursery room.

The point is not to argue about which setting is “right”. The useful question is:

What does the full pattern tell us?

Why a parent and childminder/nursery diary can make a real difference

A simple diary can be one of the most useful tools at this stage.

Not because parents should have to prove every concern.

Not because nursery staff need more paperwork.

But because early sensory patterns are often missed when each adult only sees one part of the child’s week.

Welsh Government’s ALN decision-making guidance says practitioners should use a range of information gathered over time to build a reliable, person-centred understanding of the learner’s difficulty and how it affects learning and access. A diary can help parents and settings contribute to that clearer picture [4].

A shared parent and childminder/nursery diary can help everyone spot:

where distress happens;
what happened before it;
what the environment was like;
what helped;
what made things worse;
whether the same pattern repeats;
whether home and nursery are seeing different parts of the same child.

This is also consistent with good sensory-support practice more widely. Bury Council’s early years sensory guidance recommends observation across different settings and contexts, including home, indoor and outdoor play, and looking at environmental factors such as lighting, noise, smell and tactile materials [10]. Humber Sensory Processing Hub explains that sensory processing differences may be relevant where a young child’s responses to sensory input are extreme, consistent and affect learning, sleep, play, eating or communication [9].

So the diary is not about labelling the child. It is about noticing whether repeated sensory patterns are affecting daily life, early learning and access to ordinary routines.

This can be very useful for professionals such as health visitors, GPs, paediatricians, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dietitians, audiology, optometry or early years ALN teams.

Professionals may spot links that parents and nursery staff would not be expected to recognise straight away.

For example, a professional may notice that distress is linked to:

noisy transitions;
bright lighting;
visual clutter;
hunger or thirst;
toileting signals;
fatigue;
movement after lunch;
messy play;
clothing discomfort;
sound sensitivity;
chewing;
falling;
lack of danger awareness;
delayed recovery after nursery;
increased distress after poor sleep;
particular rooms, routines or times of day.

What to include in a sensory diary

A diary does not need to be complicated.

The most useful diary records both the behaviour and the environment.

Try using these headings:

| Date and time | Setting | What was happening before? | Environment | What did the child do? | What helped? | Recovery time | |—|—|—|—|—|—|—|

Setting

Record where the child was.

For example:

home;
childminder;
nursery;
playgroup;
car;
supermarket;
park;
soft play;
family event;
medical appointment;
toilet;
lunch room;
cloakroom;
outdoor area.

What was happening before?

Record the build-up.

For example:

arrival;
leaving home;
getting dressed;
snack time;
nappy change;
toileting;
messy play;
lunch;
another child crying;
music;
hand dryer;
transition from outdoor to indoor play;
group time;
waiting;
being asked to stop a preferred activity;
being touched unexpectedly;
change of adult;
change of routine.

Environment

This is the part that often gets missed.

Record sensory and environmental factors such as:

noise level;
lighting;
smell;
crowding;
temperature;
clothing;
touch;
visual clutter;
movement;
food texture;
hunger;
tiredness;
toileting;
illness;
pain;
sleep the night before;
whether the child had a quiet space;
whether the routine changed.

What did the child do?

Use plain, neutral language.

Instead of:

“He was naughty.”

write:

“He ran to the corner, covered his ears and cried when the music started.”

Instead of:

“She refused snack.”

write:

“She pushed the banana away, gagged when it was opened, and hid under the table.”

Instead of:

“He attacked another child.”

write:

“He pushed another child when three children came close to him during tidy-up time.”

Neutral wording helps professionals understand what actually happened.

What helped?

Record what helped the child recover.

For example:

quiet space;
adult reducing language;
headphones;
deep pressure if the child likes it;
familiar toy;
movement break;
going outside;
dimmer light;
changing clothes;
snack or drink;
visual cue;
slower transition;
warning before change;
removing smell or noise;
one-to-one support;
being left alone safely;
parent collecting early.

Also record what did not help.

That can be just as useful.

Recovery time

Record how long it took the child to recover.

A five-minute wobble is different from a two-hour shutdown.

A child who appears “fine” in nursery but has a three-hour meltdown after pick-up may be showing that the nursery day is taking more out of them than adults realise.

Pattern examples

A diary may reveal patterns such as:

the child only bites during noisy transitions;
the child gags at snack time when strong-smelling foods are opened nearby;
the child copes with nursery until outdoor play ends;
the child falls more often after busy group activities;
the child removes clothes after becoming hot or overwhelmed;
the child refuses toileting when the bathroom hand dryer is used;
the child hides under tables during music;
the child seems fine at nursery but cannot sleep after nursery days;
the child crashes into others after sitting still for too long;
the child is more distressed after poor sleep;
the child refuses shoes only on days when socks have seams;
the child copes better with a childminder than in a large nursery room.

These patterns can change the conversation.

Instead of:

“This child is difficult.”

the question becomes:

“What is happening in this environment, at this time, that this child cannot yet manage without support?”

When nursery says “we do not see it here”

Sometimes parents are told:

“They are fine here.”

That may be true from the nursery’s point of view. But it may not be the whole picture.

A child may mask in nursery and collapse at home.

A child may freeze rather than visibly meltdown.

A child may avoid activities quietly.

A child may comply but become exhausted.

A child may not have the language to say what is hard.

A child may show distress through sleep, eating, toileting or behaviour after the nursery day ends.

A calm way to respond is:

I understand you may not be seeing the same behaviour in nursery. Could we keep a short shared diary for a few weeks so we can look at the full pattern across home and nursery?

Another useful question is:

Are there any parts of the nursery day that my child avoids, needs more adult support for, or takes longer to recover from?

And:

Could we record what happens around noise, transitions, food, toileting, messy play, clothing, group time and outdoor play?

The aim is not to prove nursery wrong. The aim is to understand the child.

When nursery sees it but home does not

Sometimes nursery sees difficulties that parents do not see at home.

That does not mean parents are missing something or doing something wrong.

Home may simply be more predictable and better matched to the child’s sensory needs.

A child may struggle more in nursery because there are more people, more noise, less control, more transitions and more group expectations.

Parents can ask:

Can you show me which parts of the day are hardest, what happens before the difficulty, and what helps my child recover?

And:

Could we compare home and nursery routines to see what is different?

That comparison can reveal practical changes.

For example:

the child may need a quieter arrival;
snack time may need adjustment;
the child may need a warning before transitions;
messy play may need a graded approach;
a quiet space may need to be available;
clothing expectations may need flexibility;
the child may need movement before sitting;
staff may need to reduce language when the child is overwhelmed.

Early years, ALN and Wales

In Wales, sensory needs do not automatically mean a child has Additional Learning Needs.

The question is whether the child has a learning difficulty or disability that calls for Additional Learning Provision.

For children under 3, Welsh Government guidance explains that ALP means educational provision of any kind. For children aged 3 or over, ALP means education or training that is additional to, or different from, what is generally made available to others of the same age in nursery, school or college [3].

That means early years sensory patterns may matter if they affect whether the child can access play, early learning, nursery routines, communication, social participation, toileting, food, transitions, safety or the environment.

A diary by itself does not prove that a child has ALN. But it can help parents, childminders, nursery staff and professionals build a clearer picture of the child’s needs over time.

Parents can ask:

Are these sensory patterns affecting my child’s access to nursery, early learning, play, communication, routines or safety?

And:

Does my child need support that is additional to, or different from, what is usually available?

And:

Can our diary be considered alongside nursery observations, health visitor advice, professional reports and any other information about my child’s needs?

Welsh Government’s parent guide also says parents of children from birth to age 5 who do not attend a local authority nursery or school can tell the local authority Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer, or early years ALN team, that they think their child may have ALN. It also says the child does not need a professional referral or a diagnosis before someone tells the local authority the child may have ALN [3].

That is important for parents who feel stuck waiting for someone else to “make the referral”. In Wales, parents can raise ALN concerns themselves.

A gap for parents and practitioners

One difficulty for families is that there does not appear to be one simple Wales-wide parent guide that explains early years sensory needs, nursery observation, sensory pattern recognition and ALN routes all in one place.

Welsh Government does publish ALN guidance, parent rights information and nursery education guidance. Its nursery education guidance says local authorities should secure sufficient, child-centred, high-quality nursery education for 3 and 4 year olds in schools and non-maintained settings, and should support smoother transitions into nursery education [8].

But sensory-specific early years guidance is often found in local NHS therapy pages, English local authority SEND resources, autism resources or occupational therapy guidance, rather than in one Wales-specific route map.

That creates a practical gap.

Parents may notice the pattern before anyone else does. Childminders or nursery staff may see the child in a different environment. Health visitors, ALN teams and therapists may each hold one piece of the puzzle. But unless someone records the pattern clearly, the child may simply be described as difficult, fussy, rough, anxious, avoidant or not ready.

At Learn Without Limits CIC, we are interested in working with the new Senedd, the incoming Welsh Government, local authorities, health boards, early years professionals, occupational therapists, parent carers and other partners to explore whether Wales needs a clearer early years sensory navigation route for families.

We believe this could help some children move more smoothly from home, childcare or nursery into primary education by making sensory patterns easier to recognise earlier, easier to record, and easier to discuss constructively before difficulties become framed mainly as behaviour, attendance or parenting issues.

This is not about labelling every child. It is about helping parents and practitioners ask better questions earlier:

What is happening?
Where is it happening?
What is the environment like?
What helps?
What pattern is emerging over time?

That kind of shared observation can help move the conversation from opinion to evidence, and from blame to support.

Who can parents speak to?

Depending on the child’s age and situation, parents may speak to:

health visitor;
GP;
childminder;
nursery manager;
nursery Additional Learning Needs lead or equivalent;
early years setting staff;
local authority early years ALN team;
Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer;
speech and language therapy;
occupational therapy;
paediatrics;
dietetics;
audiology;
optometry;
social care, if there are significant safety, care or family support needs.

Swansea Council’s Early Years ALNLO information gives a useful example of how this can work locally. It says parents concerned about a child’s development should contact their health visitor in the first instance, and that childcare providers and other professionals may discuss concerns with the Early Years ALN Support and Inclusion Team with parental consent. It also explains that the Early Years ALNLO works with health visitors and supports children under 5 until they begin school [5].

Routes vary by local authority and health board, so parents should check the local pathway for their area.

Questions to ask a nursery or childminder about sensory needs

Parents do not need a nursery or childminder to be perfect. The important thing is whether the adults are observant, willing to listen, and able to work with parents and other professionals.

Useful questions include:

Daily observation and communication

How do you share observations with parents?
Can we record patterns around sensory triggers, not just behaviour?
Do you use a diary, app, notebook or daily handover system?
If my child struggles after nursery but seems fine here, are you willing to help us look at the full pattern?
Can we agree what information would be useful to share both ways?

Noise, movement and busy environments

What are the noisiest parts of the day?
Is there a quieter space my child can use if overwhelmed?
How do you support children who struggle with group time, singing, hand dryers, lunch noise or transitions?
How do you support children who need more movement, climbing, jumping or deep pressure?
How do you keep children safe if they bolt, climb, crash or have poor danger awareness?

Food, toileting and personal care

How do you handle restricted eating or strong reactions to food smells and textures?
Are staff willing to record what happens before, during and after snack or lunch?
How do you support children who struggle with toileting, nappy changes, handwashing, clothing, sun cream, toothbrushing or messy play?
Will you avoid forcing sensory experiences, such as messy play or food textures, if they cause distress?

Transitions and routines

How much warning do children get before transitions?
Can my child have a visual routine or simple transition cue?
How do you support children who struggle with drop-off, pick-up, stopping a preferred activity or moving between rooms?
Can we agree a predictable arrival or goodbye routine?

Working with professionals

Are you willing to work with health visitors, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, paediatrics, dietetics, audiology, optometry or early years ALN services if needed?
Can you provide written observations if we need to speak to a health visitor, GP, OT or local authority early years ALN team?
If you are concerned about my child’s development, how will you discuss that with me?
Who is responsible for ALN or additional support within the setting?

Parent-blame and tone

How do you talk with parents when a child is struggling?
Will you help us understand what the behaviour may be communicating?
Are staff open to the possibility that behaviour may be linked to sensory needs, communication, sleep, pain, toileting, food, anxiety or environmental factors?
If my child is distressed, will you focus on support and pattern recognition rather than blame?

A good nursery or childminder does not need to have all the answers. What matters is whether they are willing to observe carefully, communicate respectfully, make reasonable adjustments, and work with parents and professionals.

If a setting dismisses every concern as “just behaviour” or “parenting”, that may make it harder to understand the child’s real needs. A more useful approach is to ask what the child is finding difficult to access, what patterns are appearing, and what support might help them feel safer, calmer and more able to join in.

When to ask for more help

Parents should consider asking for advice if sensory-related difficulties are:

frequent;
intense;
affecting sleep;
affecting eating;
affecting toileting;
affecting nursery access;
affecting play;
affecting communication;
affecting safety;
causing repeated distress;
causing repeated accidents;
leading to exclusion from ordinary family life;
creating serious strain at home;
leading to blame rather than support.

Ask sooner if the child:

runs into danger;
does not seem to notice pain;
has repeated injuries;
has very restricted eating;
is choking, gagging or losing weight;
is not drinking enough;
has toileting issues causing distress;
removes clothing in unsafe situations;
becomes extremely distressed in ordinary environments;
cannot manage nursery despite support;
is not able to communicate pain, fear or distress.

How parents can ask for help without sounding as if they are diagnosing

Parents sometimes worry that professionals will think they have “read too much online” or are trying to diagnose their child themselves.

You do not have to diagnose.

You can describe what you see.

For example:

I am not trying to diagnose this myself, but I am seeing repeated patterns that may be sensory-related. They are affecting feeding, sleep, nursery routines, transitions and safety. Could we look at whether health visitor, OT, SALT, paediatrics or early years ALN advice is needed?

Or:

We have kept a diary across home and childcare. The pattern seems linked to noise, touch, movement, food and transitions. Could this be considered as part of the assessment of my child’s needs?

Or:

My child’s behaviour changes depending on the environment. I would like us to look at what the behaviour is communicating, rather than treating it only as defiance.

What the diary can help professionals decide

A good diary may help professionals consider:

whether sensory processing may be part of the picture;
whether communication needs are contributing;
whether pain, sleep, eating, toileting or health issues need review;
whether OT input may be useful;
whether SALT input may be needed;
whether nursery adjustments are needed;
whether the child may have emerging ALN;
whether a transition plan is needed before school;
whether social care advice is needed for safety or family support;
whether parent blame is distracting from the child’s actual needs.

The diary does not replace assessment. It helps adults ask better questions.

Practical ideas parents and settings can explore safely

Parents and settings should not feel they have to create a therapy programme.

But they can often make ordinary environments easier to understand and manage.

Examples might include:

quieter arrival time;
predictable goodbye routine;
visual routine;
warning before transitions;
quieter snack space;
reducing unnecessary background noise;
avoiding strong smells where possible;
allowing clothing flexibility;
offering a quiet corner;
allowing the child to watch messy play before joining;
not forcing touch or messy textures;
providing movement breaks;
using fewer words when the child is overwhelmed;
checking hunger, thirst, toileting, pain and tiredness;
giving recovery time after busy activities;
recording what helps.

Bury Council’s early years sensory guidance gives similar environmental examples, including low-stimulus areas, neutral backgrounds, reducing visual clutter and considering lighting, noise, smell and tactile materials [10]. Oxfordshire’s early years sensory processing guidance also links sensory processing with attention, learning and self-regulation, which is why sensory needs should not be treated as separate from early learning or behaviour [11].

These ideas are not a substitute for professional advice where a child has significant needs. They are ordinary, reasonable observations and adjustments that may help adults understand the pattern.

The safest approach is:

observe first, adjust gently, record what helps, and ask for professional advice where needs are significant, persistent, unsafe or affecting access to nursery or daily life.

The parent-blame risk in early years

Early years is a common stage for parent blame to begin.

Parents may be told:

“You give in too quickly.”
“They need to learn.”
“They are ruling the house.”
“They are too attached.”
“They behave for us.”
“You need firmer boundaries.”
“They are just fussy.”
“They will eat when they are hungry.”
“You are making too much of it.”

Sometimes parents do need support with routines. Sometimes settings need to hold safe and consistent boundaries.

But boundaries alone will not fix a sensory access need.

If a child cannot tolerate the toilet because of the hand dryer, refuses food because smells make them gag, crashes into other children because they cannot judge body space, or melts down after nursery because they have masked all morning, the answer cannot simply be “be firmer”.

The better question is:

What is the child finding hard to access, and what support helps them manage safely?

Key message for parents

If your baby, toddler or nursery-age child reacts strongly to ordinary routines, environments or sensory experiences, you are not wrong to notice.

You do not have to diagnose the cause.

You can start by recording the pattern.

A useful diary looks at:

what happened;
where it happened;
what the environment was like;
what the child did;
what helped;
what happened afterwards.

That evidence can help parents, childminders, nursery staff and professionals move away from blame and towards understanding.

The aim is not to label every behaviour as sensory.

The aim is to make sure sensory needs are not missed when a child is struggling to access daily life, early learning, care routines or ordinary childhood experiences.

A child who cannot manage a room, a sound, a texture, a transition, a toilet, a food smell or a busy nursery day is not “being difficult” simply because adults cannot yet see the reason.

The better question is:

What is this child finding hard to access, what pattern are we seeing, and what support might help them feel safer, calmer and more able to join in?

That is the question that turns early years sensory concerns from a parent-blame conversation into a support conversation.

References

[1] National Autistic Society, “Autism and sensory processing.” Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/about-autism/sensory-processing

[2] Autism Central, “Sensory differences.” Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://www.autismcentral.nhs.uk/guidance/sensory-differences

[3] Welsh Government, “A guide for parents about rights under the additional learning needs (ALN) system.” Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://www.gov.wales/guide-parents-about-rights-under-additional-learning-needs-aln-system-html

[4] Welsh Government, “Additional learning needs (ALN): decision-making and communication.” Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://www.gov.wales/additional-learning-needs-aln-decision-making-and-communication-html

[5] Swansea Council, “Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer (EY ALNLO).” Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://www.swansea.gov.uk/alnprofessionalsEYALNLO

[6] Welsh Government, “The Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales 2021.” Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2026-04/the-additional-learning-needs-code-for-wales-2021_0.pdf

[7] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, “Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: support and management,” Clinical guideline CG170. Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg170/chapter/recommendations

[8] Welsh Government, “Nursery education for 3 and 4 year olds: guidance for local authorities.” Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://www.gov.wales/nursery-education-3-and-4-year-olds-guidance-local-authorities-html

[9] Humber Sensory Processing Hub, “Sensory Processing in Early Years.” Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://connect.humber.nhs.uk/service/humber-sensory-processing-hub/sensory-processing-in-early-years/

[10] Bury Council, “Sensory: getting advice, early years.” Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://www.bury.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/send-graduated-approach-toolkit/setting-and-school-staff/early-years/graduated-approach/needs/sensory/advice

[11] Oxfordshire County Council, “Sensory processing support, Early Years.” Accessed: May 2026. URL: https://schools.oxfordshire.gov.uk/send-framework/sendco-framework-do-early-years/communication-and-interaction-ci/sensory-processing