How do I help them include a classmate with sensory needs in games? 

Parenting Perspective 

Children will often want to include everyone in their games, and yet they may not understand how to support a classmate who has particular sensory needs, such as a child who finds loud noises, bright lights, or fast movements to be overwhelming. Without any guidance, they may unintentionally exclude or overwhelm such a child. Helping your child to include them in a thoughtful way can teach them the virtues of empathy, of flexibility, and of a quiet form of kindness. 

Teaching Understanding Before Expecting Inclusion 

It is important to begin by explaining to your child, ‘Some people’s senses, such as their hearing, their sight, or their sense of touch, can feel things much more strongly than ours do. That is not a wrong thing; it just means that they can sometimes need a sense of calm instead of a lot of noise.’ This helps to normalise the idea of our human differences as a natural part of our variety, not as a form of limitation. It can help your child to see their classmate not as being ‘different’, but simply as someone with their own unique comfort zone that deserves to be respected. 

Guiding Them in Making Small and Practical Adjustments 

You can encourage your child to notice what it is that makes their classmate feel more at ease. You could say, ‘Try to watch for what helps them to stay calm. Perhaps they prefer to use a gentler voice or to play in smaller groups.’ You can then brainstorm some simple adaptations that they could make to their games together. 

• Lower the volume. They could choose to play games that do not involve a great deal of shouting or background noise. 

• Reduce any sudden movements. They can try to avoid any surprise tagging or any other sudden physical jolts. 

• Offer a range of choices. They could ask their friend, ‘Would you like to play this game, or would you prefer to do something else?’ 

You can explain to your child that the art of inclusion is not about changing who they play with, but how they play. 

Teaching Them Gentle Leadership in Their Play 

You can encourage your child to model a sense of inclusion in some small and subtle ways. When the other children in the group seem unsure of what to do, they could say, ‘Let us try to make it a bit quieter now so that everyone can join in,’ or ‘We can play the game this way instead. It is calmer and it is still a lot of fun.’ This can show them that compassion is a form of leadership. You can also practise some of these scenarios at home through role-play so that they are able to feel more prepared and less panicked in the real-life moments. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches that every single person has been created with their own sense of dignity, regardless of their ability or of their differences. Having a sense of compassion for those who may experience the world in a different way to ourselves is a part of our rahmah, the mercy that Allah Almighty loves to see in His servants. The act of including a classmate with sensory needs is a reflection of the Quranic and the prophetic call to exercise gentleness, empathy, and a sense of protection for the vulnerable among us. 

The Quranic Teaching on Showing Mercy and Care 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Noor (24), Verse 61: 

‘There are no constraints upon the blind, and no constraints on the disabled, and no constraints on the sick…’ 

This verse reminds us as believers that any physical or sensory differences that a person may have do not carry any sense of shame or of fault. Instead, they are a call to the rest of us to act with a greater sense of compassion. When your child is able to adjust a game so that their classmate can join in with them in a comfortable way, they are practising this divine principle of seeing the person, not their limitation. 

The Prophetic Example of Gentleness and Inclusion 

It is recorded in Riyadh Al Saliheen, Hadith 224, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The believers, in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy, are like one body; when one part of it suffers, the whole body responds with wakefulness and fever.’ 

This hadith beautifully illustrates the Islamic ideal of empathy, that a believer’s compassion should extend to any person who may be in a state of difficulty or of discomfort. A further reflection of the Prophet’s ﷺ mercy was his deep attentiveness to every person, regardless of their ability or their status. 

When your child is able to learn how to include a classmate with particular sensory needs, they are learning the art of love in action, the kind of love that is able to protect, to adapt, and to uplift in a quiet and unassuming way. They can discover for themselves that our kindness does not always have to be loud or dramatic; sometimes, it is as simple as turning the volume down so that another person’s heart can remain at peace. 

Your own calm guidance can help them to see that every small act of consideration, whether it is waiting for a moment, softening their voice, or offering a choice, is a form of mercy that can count for a great deal in the sight of Allah. 

As they grow, these small and simple moments will teach them that the true purpose of play is not about winning or about making a lot of noise; it is about a sense of shared joy, the kind that is a reflection of both our humanity and our faith: gentle, inclusive, and beautifully aware of every single soul around them.