Mamma's BOY or Sensitive CHILD

When I heard the term Sensitive Child I automatically thought "MAMMA'S BOY" and "WHINNEY DADDY'S GIRL".

I was wrong! Being a sensitive child does not mean either of those things.

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Imagine walking into a huge room full of people.

• You don't know anyone.
• Everyone is talking at the same time and it feels as if they are talking about you.
• The noise is deafening.
• They all seem to know each other and act like they have dinner over at each others house.
• They seem to know exactly what to do and you have no clue.

Now imagine this happening everyday.

You are the sensitive chld going to school.

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The term highly sensitive person was coined by Dr. Elaine N. Aron in 1996. A highly sensitive person, is a person having the innate trait of high sensitivity According to Elaine N. Aron and other researchers, highly sensitive people, process sensory data much more deeply and thoroughly because of a difference in their nervous system. Other names used to describe the trait in literature include 'introverted emotional temperament, 'chronic cortical/cortisol arousal', hypervigelence, and innate shyness'.

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You can group sensitivity into four types

1. Physical Sensitivity
2. Emotional Sensitivity
3. Novelty Sensitivity
4. Social Sensitivity

Each type can be subdivided into three catagories

1. Threshold -
2. Intensity -
3. Complexity -

Physical sensitivity threshold - refers to how low is the threshold before something bothers them . For example fabrics, rough socks, tags in clothers. etc. Sometimes they refuse to wear clothes because "they just don't feel right."

Physical sensitivity intensity- refers to how much intensity is needed before something bothers them.  They react to pain more than other children, and loud noise bother them.

Physical sensitivity complexity - refers to their physical environment.  Crouds or busy places bother them. They usually cant stand their food touching, and they dislike lots of seasonings, or bold tastes.

Emotional sensitivity threshold - refers to how well they read others emotions.  As it turns out they pick up on others emotions sometimes even before the person having them do.  Animals seem to gravitate toward them, and babies love them. 

Emotional sensitivity intensitity - refers to how things affect them emotionally.  They tend to cry easily, and feel things deeply, almost to the point of pain.

Emotional sensitivity complexity -refers to insite about what is going on with people.  They seem to read them like a book, and are a good judge of character.  They often dream vivid and complex dreams.

Novelty sensitivity threshold - They tend to notice small changes in a room or a persons appearance. Sometimes they are so distracted by these they do not notice anything else.

Novelty sensitivity Intensity- Do not like suprises for the most part. They are easily startled, and sudden changes leave them confused and frightened. They hesitate and stand back in new places.  For example a rollercoaster with its sudden twists, turns, ups, and down is a nightmare for the highly sensitive child.

Novelty sensitivity complexity - New things tend to overwhelm them. They tend to dread moving, changing schools, classrooms, grades, teachers, etc.

Social sensitivity threshold - They are slow to warm up to people initially. It takes time to warm up to a person the next time they see them. It is almost like they haven't met the person before.

Social sensitivity intensity - The more different , or unusual the person the more withdrawn they become from that person.

Social sensitivity complexity - Generally they do not like to be the center of attention among strangers. Especially if the stranger asks them questions. Meeting a lot of new people all at once makes them feel like a deer in a headlight.