As featured in SEN Magazine, the creator of HushAway® describes how difficult behaviour in children with additional needs is the last warning sign of an overwhelmed nervous system.
LONDON, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, August 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — HushAway® has been covered in SEN Magazine, a leading UK publication in the field of special educational needs. In Issue 143 (July–August 2026), an article titled “The behaviour is the symptom” presents founder and creative director Nicola Maria Rose’s gentler, more empathetic perspective on why children with additional needs yell, resist, shut down or have meltdowns, and what truly makes a difference.
Her core argument is that problematic behaviour seldom marks the origin of the difficulty. “Behaviour is often the most visible challenge in classrooms and homes, but it is rarely the starting point,” Nicola Maria Rose writes in SEN Magazine. “For many children with additional needs, escalating behaviour is the final domino in a chain of nervous system overload.”
The article explains how sensory overload, mental exhaustion, emotional strain and disrupted sleep can quietly accumulate throughout the day until a child’s nervous system has no capacity left. It also highlights a pattern familiar to many families, the pop bottle effect, in which a child maintains composure at school and then releases everything upon reaching the security of home. Children are naturally inclined to conform and to please, Nicola Maria Rose notes, so by the time behaviour surfaces, they have typically been hiding their distress for as long as possible.
The piece points toward an encouraging change. When behaviour is seen as the core problem, responses usually centre on punishment or consequences. When it is interpreted as a message, support shifts toward regulation, environment and relational safety. “When behaviour is understood as the symptom, rather than the issue itself, intervention shifts toward regulation, environment and relational safety,” Nicola Maria Rose writes.
The article draws on input from specialists, including Dr Viki Veale, senior lecturer in Early Years and Primary Education at St Mary’s University, who recommends quieter surroundings, consistent schedules, calm areas and soft auditory signals to promote self-regulation, and Helen Rutherford from The Sleep Charity, who describes sleep as one of the most effective resources for helping children with SEN cope, regulate and feel secure during the school day.
That philosophy is central to HushAway®. The system uses soothing stories, gentle soundscapes and guided audio to provide children with predictable, low-stimulation cues for transitions, reset and rest, supporting the steady co-regulation discussed in the article. Its method relies on consistency rather than crisis, so that calm becomes familiar before challenging moments occur, rather than something attempted only during a meltdown.
“Being featured in SEN Magazine means a great deal, because it is a chance to change the conversation. If we can help parents, carers and educators see behaviour as a signal rather than a battle, we can respond with far more warmth and far less blame. That is better for children, and it is kinder for the adults who love and teach them.” Nicola Maria Rose, founder and creative director of HushAway®.
HushAway® has released a follow-up article expanding on the feature, exploring emotional dysregulation in children with additional needs and the practical strategies that help children feel safe enough to settle, learn and rest.
The full write-up is on pages 47 and 48 of the July–August 2026 edition of SEN Magazine.
About HushAway®
HushAway® offers gentle sound support for sensitive and neurodivergent children, using calming stories, soothing soundscapes and guided audio to aid sleep, focus and emotional regulation at home, at school and during the moments in between. Founded by Nicola Maria Rose, a neurodivergent-inclusive coach, voice artist and sound therapy practitioner, HushAway® is rooted in the principle that small, regular moments of calm, repeated daily, help regulation take hold before the toughest moments occur. Families can test HushAway® free for 14 days, with no card details required.
Emma Sivess
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