From Fairytales to Flexible Supports: Finding the ‘Just Right’ for Every Ākonga

Sensory differences are part of the diverse ways our ākonga experience the world. They’re not behavioural problems—they’re individual responses to the environment, shaped by unique nervous systems. This blog offers a light-hearted lens on sensory processing using familiar fairy tales, but with a serious message: when we understand and honour sensory needs, we create learning spaces where all ākonga can thrive. 

Too Hot, Too Cold, or Just Right?

Once upon a time in a place not far away, Goldilocks walked into a house and tried three bowls of porridge - one too hot, one too cold, and one just right. Then she tried the three chairs - one too hard, one too soft, and one just right. And finally she tried the beds, where the right level of mattress firmness mattered more than appearances. Of course, she settled on the bed that was ‘just right’. Many RTLB might now be thinking, 'surely the story is signalling a sensory preference or need?'

Let’s look at the story from a different perspective.: Goldilocks wasn’t just a curious home invader. She was a young person navigating the world with a finely tuned (and slightly overwhelmed) sensory system.

Take the porridge. What if it was a combination of temperature and texture sensitivity - common sensory processing differences that can make certain foods feel overwhelming or unbearable? 

That chair she broke? A victim of her vestibular seeking tendencies - she needed movement, bounce, and proprioceptive feedback… and that chair didn’t stand a chance.

And the beds? Classic case of interoception meets tactile sensitivity/defensiveness. One mattress is too hard. One too soft. Finally, she finds one that doesn’t feel like a cactus or a marshmallow. Just right.

What about the bears? They came home to find their breakfast sampled, furniture broken, and a stranger asleep in their kid’s bed - and exhausted Goldilocks feeling overwhelmed by sensory input and (possibly) shutting down to cope.

Fairy tales are full of this stuff. Consider the Princess and the Pea - a story about tactile sensitivity? If a single pea under twenty mattresses is enough to disrupt your sleep, it might be a sign of sensory sensitivity - something an OT could help explore and support. Or maybe she  needed a weighted blanket.

What about Little Red Riding Hood? She wore a hood all day, ran through a forest, talked to strangers, and didn’t even flinch when her grandmother suddenly had a hairy face and big teeth. Clearly a child with a robust sensory threshold. Possibly under-responsive to visual cues? Or just very polite.

For RTLB, these stories are more than entertainment—they’re metaphor-rich gold for understanding how ākonga experience the world. 

When you notice a student adjusting their seat, fiddling with objects, reacting to sounds, or fussing with clothing, it’s worth pausing to consider: is there a difficulty meeting a particular expectation, a sensory response, or both?

So how can we help our modern-day ‘Goldilockses’?

As RTLB, here are a few practical strategies that we can suggest to kaiako:

• Create flexible environments: Seating choices, quiet corners, natural lighting, and fidget tools can all help students find their “just right.”

• Offer movement opportunities: Some students need to move to learn. Incorporate movement breaks, heavy work tasks, or standing desks where possible. Offering opportunities to ride bikes, sit on wobble boards or swiss balls and swing on swings can also support and/or satisfy sensory needs.

• Use sensory profiles: Talk with whānau and specialists (especially OTs) to understand a student’s sensory needs. Are they avoiding input, seeking it, or missing it altogether?

• Normalise difference: Use classroom language that embraces neurodiversity. We all process the world differently - some of us just need noise-cancelling headphones or chewies to do our best thinking.

• Plan for transitions: Many sensory-sensitive students find change tricky. Use visual schedules, advance warnings, and transition objects to ease the shift from one task or space to another.

  
  

Most importantly—listen to ākonga. They’re the experts on what feels 'too much,' 'not enough,' or 'just right.' Sensory needs aren’t fixed; they can change overnight, depending on stress, environment, or how the day’s begun. That’s why it’s so important to notice, ask, and adjust. When we stay flexible and make space for ākonga to show or tell us what works, we move closer to truly inclusive practice.

So next time a kaiako describes a student as 'fussy,' 'bouncy,' 'can’t sit still,' or prone to 'meltdowns out of nowhere,' it’s worth considering: has this ākonga found their 'just right' today, - and how might we support the teacher to help them get there?

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To get information about sensory processing directly from an OT, join our webinar in September - we’ll provide you with registration details closer to the time.

• Proprioception (body awareness and position in the space around us) 

• Vestibular (awareness of our movement, balance, and coordination) 

• Interoception (our internal sensory system that tells us what is happening inside our body (eg hunger, needing the toilet, fatigue, emotions, etc)

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