One of the most powerful things about sensory stories is how they can make communication meaningful for every pupil, regardless of ability. A sensory story combines short, simple text with rich sensory experiences — sight, sound, touch, even smell and taste. They aren’t “just for fun”; they are a structured way to build anticipation, encourage responses, and spark communication in learners who may not otherwise have the opportunity to join in.
A new autumn resource
I’ve created Autumn Walk in the Woods, a free sensory story resource with ready-made ideas for sensory props, AAC modelling, and assistive technology integration. Each slide pairs a short line of text with a sensory experience — scrunching cornflakes for leaves, feeling the breeze of a fan for wind, or watching rainbow colours projected across the classroom. Teachers can use it through Canva, GRID, or with their own printed visuals.
What makes this resource different is how it builds AAC and assistive technology naturally into the storytelling. A Smooth Talker can repeat a refrain (“Crunch crunch, autumn leaves”), while switches linked to a fan or a voice output recording allow pupils to bring the story alive. Instead of switches being used for standalone cause-and-effect activities (which, let’s be honest, can sometimes feel dull for both teacher and pupil), they become part of a shared narrative that sparks imagination and joy.
Not a one-size-fits-all approach
In many SEN classrooms, we have mixed ability groups, each pupil experiencing and responding to learning in different ways. This story is not designed as a “one size fits all” approach. It’s a guide and starting point. Teachers can adapt the story to suit their pupils, dialling sensory input up or down, and choosing the most relevant AAC vocabulary.
Over the years, I’ve seen how stories like this give pupils not just the means to communicate through AAC or switches, but also the reason and opportunity. A story invites them to anticipate, choose, and join in. For some pupils that might be pressing a switch to turn on the wind. For others it could be repeating the refrain, or modelling words like more or stop on a core board.
For schools in North Yorkshire
If you’re a school in North Yorkshire and would like to talk about loaning some equipment to try out stories like this in your classroom, please get in touch. I’d love to support you in exploring how AAC and assistive technology can be woven into everyday learning in a way that feels natural, engaging, and full of possibility.
You can view the Canva story here.
👉 The story is also available as a ready-to-use grid set on Grid Online Resources, under the title “Autumn Walk in the Woods – A sensory story with switches, AAC, and repeated refrain by AAC and Me”, so you can open it directly in Grid 3 or Grid for iPad and start exploring with your pupils.
