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Sensitivities

"The shadow side of heightened sensitivity can be easily described but coping effectively with it is a different matter. One aspect of the "down side" of this sensitivity is a child's feelings being easily hurt. This includes a low or no tolerance for perceived criticism from others. The operative word here is "perceived" since actual criticism is not necessary to upset a child who is highly sensitive..." Sal Mendaglio, Emotional Sensitivity in Gifted Children

Also visit Social / Emotional, Counseling, Spirituality and Dabrowski's Theory
  ...and Social Stuff in Hot Topics! for Social/Emotional books for our kids...

Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults by Susan Daniels & Michael M. Piechowski

Do you know an intense gifted child?  You must read this book!  An easy-to-read volume for parents, teachers, psychologists, everyone dealing with the gifted child, that explains the inexplicable, and guides us all in guiding the growth and development of our gifted children...
 

Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

If you have an exceptionally spirited child, this book is written for you. Now available Raising Your Spirited Child Workbook
 

ADHD versus Overexcitabilities

Chart of differences between ADHD and Overexcitabilities...
 

The Biology of Auditory Processing - Sound Sensitivity in Eide Neurolearning Blog

Parents and educators are perplexed by kids who show fight or flight reaction to loud classrooms, parties, movies and more, but have perfectly "normal" hearing per the audiologist. These reactions to sound that result from the brain overactivation of brain regions like the amygdala...
 

Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities

Hoagies' collection on Dabrowski...
 

Emotional intensity in gifted children by Lesley Sword

Just as gifted children's thinking is more complex and has more depth than other children's, so too are their emotions more complex and more intense...
 

Emotional Sensitivity in Gifted Children and Guidelines for Handling the Dark Side of Emotional Sensitivity in Gifted Children by Sal Mendaglio

On the positive side, this characteristic is reflected in concern for others, their plight, and feelings.  The shadow side of heightened sensitivity can be easily described but coping effectively with it is a different matter...  (requires ^{Adobe Reader})
 

From Dysfunction to Dynamic Function by Valerie Thea Vandermeer

We now see many children blessed/burdened with extreme sensitivities. These children receive plenty of overt and subtle feedback that something is wrong with them, they don't fit in, or they don’t function well. They get very little feedback that their exceptionalities have an "exceptional" and culturally valuable aspect...
 

Gifted and Sensitive by Sandra Berger

Your gifted child may very well be both emotionally sensitive and intellectually sensitive; that is, acutely aware of everything in his environment and within himself.
 

The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping Our Children Thrive When the World Overwhelms Them by Elaine Aron

Highly sensitive children (HSCs) are born deeply reflective, sensitive to the subtle, and easily overwhelmed. These qualities can make for smart, conscientious, creative children, but with the wrong parenting or schooling, they can become unusually shy or timid, or begin acting out. HSCs are often mislabeled as overly inhibited, fearful, or “fussy,” or classified as “problem children” (and in some cases, misdiagnosed with disorders such as ADD). Author of The Highly Sensitive Person
 

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron

Are you easily overwhelmed by stimuli? Affected by other people's moods? Easily startled? Do you need to withdraw during busy times to a private, quiet place? This book helps HSPs (Highly Sensitive Persons) to understand themselves and their sensitive trait and its impact on personal history, career, relationships, and inner life... 

 

Identity development in gifted children: Moral sensitivity by Dierdre V. Lovecky, in Roeper Review

Starting from an early age, many gifted children show evidence of moral sensitivity. These children tend to care about others, want to relieve pain and suffering or show advanced ability to think about such abstract ideas as justice and fairness...
 

A Matter of Taste by Mary Beckman in Smithsonian Magazine

There's good taste, and according to scientists, there's supertaste.  Normally, people prize highly acute senses. But taste is not so simple: supertaste may be too much of a good thing, causing those who have it to avoid bitter compounds and find some spicy foods too hot to handle....
 

"Mellow out" They Say. If I Only Could: Intensities and Sensitivities of the Young and Bright by Michael M. Piechowski also visit Piechowski's site "Mellow out" They Say...

“The purpose of this book is to give voice to the emotional life of bright young people, to show how their intensities and sensitivities make them more alive, more creative, and more in love with the world and its wonders” (Chapter 1)

Moods, Sensitivities and Modern Life in Born to Explore!

A few good thoughts and links to continue your investigation...
 

Sensory Differeces by Valerie Thea Vandermeer

Since young children encounter new stimuli on a regular basis, their nervous systems spend a lot of time in this process of determining the nature of sensory input and how the brain will organize and relate to various events.  But many children being born today are not habituating to sensory stimuli in typical fashion. This is often called sensory integration disorder or dysfunction and is considered a problem with the processing mechanism of the nervous system...
 

Tips for parents of intense children by Sharon Lind

Living with emotionally intense children and partners can be turbulent, exciting, challenging, and joyful. Emotionally intense individuals are often accused of "overreacting." Their compassion and concern for others, their focus on relationships, as well as the intensity of their feelings may interfere with every day tasks. It is often quite difficult and demanding to work and live with intense individuals...

Synaesthesia: Too Well Connected: Why certain people see words in colour from The Economist

SOME people have a more complicated sensory life than others.  Diffusion-tensor imaging did, indeed, show strong connections between these two areas in the brains of the synaesthetes when they slid into the scanner and viewed colour-evoking letters and numbers. Other unusual connections showed up too, suggesting the phenomenon is more complex than had been appreciated.  Certain types of grapheme-colour synaesthetes have more connectivity than others...

Janice's Solutions

Products to provide comfort and relief to scores of people who suffer from sensitivities, allergies and dermatological problems.  Bedding, apparel, cleaning & laundry, and more...
 

Living Without Magazine

Website and magazine, full of gluten-free, wheat-free and dairy-free cooking ideas and more for those with allergies and food and/or chemical sensitivities...
 

Seamfree Socks

Offering a variety of styles and sizes (including unusual sizes) with NO seams!
 

Tagless T's

Hanes, Jockey, and more... all without those pesky tags!
 

Zappos Shoes shoes from very, very narrow to very, very wide, for sensitive feet

Styles and sizes for men, women and children...
 

Last updated December 01, 2020