The Pyramid of Learning and Return to Office

How do we as humans engage in activities? What helps us thrive and what holds us back? Why do some people succeed while others struggle in certain environments?

Occupational Therapist Kathleen Taylor and Special Educator Maryann Trott asked this question in 1991 while seeking to help their students engage at school. They created a helpful visual framework called the “Pyramid of Learning.” It is based on Sensory Integration Theory, pioneered by Jean Ayres. This model explains how foundational sensory experiences shape our ability to learn, work, and interact with the world around us. 

At the base of the pyramid is the Central Nervous system. At the most basic level, it involves our body receiving input and processing it in the brain, leading to output. That output includes breathing, sleeping, eating, and elimination patterns. This is the foundation of being a living organism.

The next tier is the sensory system. This is how we take in and process information from our environment and how our bodies interact with the space around us. This includes olfactory (smell), visual, auditory, gustatory (taste), proprioception (awareness of our body in space), tactile (touch),  interoception (internal cues such as hunger, tiredness), and vestibular (balance and motion) input. 

Building off of the sensory foundation, we can use sensory motor skills like motor planning, and/or screening input. Next we refine perceptual motor skills which involve coordinating movement and perception, with skills like attention, hand eye coordination, and language skills. 

From there, we can achieve the highest level of engagement using our cognitive intellect. This involves activities of daily living (e.g. eating, sleeping, toileting), behavior, and, for students, academic learning. Difficulties in these areas are often what leads to referrals to occupational therapy, which is why it is so important to return to the sensory based foundations of engagement. 

In fact, a recent study found that aspects of the school environment like lighting, noise, and visual input can have a strong impact of Autistic students’ engagement, even more than family support or personal characteristics (Li et al, 2024). This highlights the importance of adjusting and accommodating sensory inputs to make a comfortable environment for students to engage. 

Here’s the question: Why don’t we apply this same framework to adults?

Sensory needs don’t disappear after childhood. Just as students struggle to learn in overwhelming environments, adults struggle to work, focus, and function when their sensory needs are ignored.

This brings us to a hotly debated post-pandemic topic: return to office. Many employees are not thrilled about the prospect of returning to 40 hours in a cubicle. While there are many reasons behind this preference, one factor is loss of control of sensory input. 

At home, people can tailor their environment- adjusting lighting, choosing a quiet work space, working in comfortable sweatpants. Being back in the office can include fluorescent lighting, noise from coworkers, and stiff desk chairs. 

These factors heavily impact the autistic and neurodivergent populations, who commonly receive and process sensory input differently than neurotypical peers. Encounters with overstimulating input like office chatter, a coworker’s perfume or bright fluorescent lights can be painful, overwhelming, and disorienting (Nicholls, 2025). Encountering overwhelming sensory inputs negatively impacts attention, focus, task completion and overall participation in the workplace. 

There is a large discrepancy in employment of Autistic folks: while 77% of Autistic people desire to work, only 30% are employed (Nicholls, 2025). How much of this gap is due to workplaces that—like traditional schools—fail to accommodate sensory needs? If small environmental changes can improve engagement in school, imagine the difference they could make in the workplace.

To bridge this gap and create truly inclusive workplaces, we must rethink office environments. There are many ways to achieve simple, impactful changes. Consider seating thoughtfully, like the impacts of being near a heavily trafficked area or office kitchen. Use softer, dimmer bulbs and incorporate more natural light. Create quiet rooms or outdoor spaces for employees to retreat and recharge. Offer hybrid, remote, and flexible work hours to support diverse sensory needs. One-size-fits-all office environments don’t work for everyone.

Sensory needs aren’t a “childhood issue.” They affect us at every stage of life, including the workplace. By recognizing and accommodating these needs, we can create work environments where all employees—especially neurodivergent individuals—can focus, engage, and participate fully.

Sources:

de Vries, B. (2021). Autism and the right to a hypersensitivity-friendly workspace. Public Health Ethics, 14(3), 281–287. https://doi.org/10.1093/phe/phab021

Li, B., Heyne, D., Scheeren, A., Blijd-Hoogewys, E., & Rieffe, C. (2024). School participation of autistic youths: The influence of youth, family, and school factors. Autism, 28(9), 2295–2310. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231225490