Wow, this is a topic that has made a HUGE impact in my life, but I’ve only known about for a few years.
I have actually been unwittingly living with one of these my entire life…but my 6-year-old daughter actually lives with both.
I have Sensory Processing Sensitivity.
This is also known as being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
This is ME, 100%.
Here are just five examples of how I display Sensory Processing Sensitivity:
- I can’t just watch a movie, commercial, or even read a book as simply an observer. I am part of this art form. My brain places myself IN these situations and feels these feelings with the characters. So I choose carefully before I decide to watch a movie or read a certain book.
- Words and music can make me physically ill. Words that are very negative or heavy and music that is written from pain or suffering can make me physically sick.
- Strong smells or bright lights can easily overwhelm me. I wear sunglasses a lot and have trouble being in a room with strong perfume or smoke.
- Other people’s moods effect me very quickly. I may have to leave a room or step outside in order to get fresh air, both physically and emotionally.
- After being in a chaotic environment or around intense or multiple people, I need to withdraw to a quiet place with little stimulation for a while.
How is SPS Defined?
Dr. Elaine Aron, PhD (a psychological researcher and HSP herself) is the first person to name and define Sensory Processing Sensitivity. She continues to write about this topic, but is now only one of many researchers studying this biological trait.
Dr. Aron explains SPS or HSP as:
“…not a condition, a disorder, or a diagnosis. It is a neutral trait that evolved in 20% of the human population and many non-human species as well, because it is a survival advantage in some situations and not in others.”*
“…HSPs process stimuli in a highly organized, big picture way, which includes awareness of nuances and subtleties that others might not notice.”*
“…at times, HSPs can become extremely overstimulated by the sheer amount of information they may be asked to process. Non-HSPs in our society, who make up about 80% of the general population, do not experience the same level of overstimulation that causes distress to HSPs.”*
my daughter has both
Yes, you can have the evolved trait AND the diagnosable disorder. Talk about sensory overload…
My Daughter’s Sensitivity
Here are 5 examples of how my 6-year-old daughter displays her Sensory Processing Sensitivity:
- She has an extremely rich and complex inner life. She is constantly whispering stories to herself and making scenarios for her toys in her head.
- ‘Hangry’ isn’t quite strong enough a word. She cannot concentrate or deal with life at all if she is very hungry – and has ALWAYS been this way.
- Quick changes in temperature greatly affect her mood and can be difficult for her to handle. (Think the whoosh of warm air when you open a car door on a summer day.)
- Even though she loves attention, being observed or watched when playing or whispering one of her stories makes her extremely nervous and she starts speaking in fits and starts.
- Changes can be difficult. Being prepared for what is going to occur, particularly if it’s new, is vital for her to feel comfortable and be more successful.
sensory processing Disorder
Sensory Processing Disorder is not an evolutionary trait. It is a diagnosable neurological condition where sensory information is having a problem being appropriately organized and reacted to.
Dr. Aron distinguishes it from sensitivity in this way:
“…[SPD] is a neurological disorder. It involves the senses; the vestibular system; proprioception, motor control, balance and spatial awareness, and causes sensory information to get “mixed up” in the brain resulting in responses that are inappropriate in the context in which they find themselves. This can include random and disorganized processing of external stimuli, and can cause great distress, intensity and overstimulation.”*
My Daughter’s Disorder – revealed
My daughter, from the time she was born, displayed signs of being sensitive to sensory input. However, even as a highly educated teacher and researcher, I had never heard of the term ‘Sensory Processing Disorder.’
So what did I do? Blamed myself for ‘giving’ her my sensitivities and not knowing how to ‘fix’ it for her. (Yay Mom guilt and Postpartum Depression/Anxiety.)
However, my postpartum psychologist had heard enough about her in our sessions to suggest she might have SPD. So what does a PhD mama do? Immediately shift into research and advocacy mode.
And you know the BEST information I learned? That if caught early in life, occupational therapy for SPD can not only help children develop coping strategies, it can actually change some of the neurological pathways that cause sensory confusion. Sign me up, buttercup!
My Daughter’s Disorder – in action
So why did I think there was a problem that needed to be addressed with my daughter and her sensory sensitivities? Because the reactions were beyond anything I knew from my own experiences and they were greatly interfering with her life. It truly hurt to watch her look so frustrated and helpless at her own reactions, even at the tender age of 3.
Here are 3 examples of how my daughter’s sensory disorder manifested itself:
- Meeting new people, or even people she has met before but not on a regular basis, caused great anxiety and inability to interact. She would cry or run away or hide her face behind a parent or into the floor.
- Gymnastics class involved seeing her two favorite friends and she looked forward to it every week. But once she was there she couldn’t stand the idea someone might touch her without her knowing it. She had to always be at the end of a line so she could see everyone, and sit away from her friends if they were being touchy that day. But if SHE instigated interaction she had no sense of personal space whatsoever. She would be right up in their face.
- A sudden loud noise, even just a boisterous laugh, would elicit gigantic eyes like she had just been spooked, crying, and desperate scrambling to be picked up – in a way so primal that she couldn’t even comprehend you if you tried to calm her down.
You know the most frustrating part of all that? My daughter is so smart and so observant, that only those who knew her very well could see that this was a real problem. Others, strangers, thought she was just a spoiled only child who threw tantrums when she didn’t get what she wanted (to be picked up, to leave, to sit away from other kids, to turn off the loud noise NOW, etc.).
Lord, that hurts. Judgement hurts for yourself but it REALLY hurts for your child – especially when it’s unwarranted.
So please, reach out if you have experienced any of these things and want to talk.
Reach out to me if you have a child that gets blamed or reprimanded for things you think are more than just tantrums or behavior problems. Let’s talk! If nothing else, I’m a resource finder. I am more than happy to help you find someone more informed than I to discuss you or your child’s struggles.
You can contact me in the comments below OR you can email me through the contact page.
Disorder or Sensitivity??
Okay, so I just gave you a lot of information…including a number of three-letter acronyms.
SO, below is a table to help you more clearly identify the difference between a sensory sensitivity and a sensory disorder. I hope this post helped give you at least a basic understanding or even just an introduction!
| Trait / Action | Sensory Processing ‘DISORDER’ | Sensory Processing ‘SENSITIVITY’ |
|---|---|---|
| Type of ‘condition’: | Neurological condition | Normal temperament or trait |
| Otherwise known as: | Sensory Integration Disorder | Highly Sensitive Person |
| Brain function: | Certain sensory information doesn’t reach the appropriate parts of the brain (a ‘traffic jam’ of sorts), preventing correct interpretation/response. | Brains are wired ‘normally,’ with sensory signals getting organized into appropriate, though sometimes heightened, responses. |
| Brain response: | Sensory information can cause motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, and problems at school. | May have strong likes and dislikes to sensory stimulation, but generally responds appropriately unless overstimulated or tired. |
| Bodily responses: | May over or under- respond to sensation. Over: may find clothing, physical contact, light, sound, food, etc. unbearable. Under: may show little or no reaction, including pain or extremes in temperature. | Generally appropriate, but have heightened sensory sensitivities and take in more information all of the time, (compared to typical children), so can become overwhelmed and appear not to cope. |
| Typical visible issues: | Tend to have problems with balance, motor control, or body-spatial awareness and/or other challenges, such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). | Do not tend to have these problems any more than typical children. |
| Needs to best ‘handle’ this ‘condition’: | Occupational Therapy to organize their sensory input and gain healthier responses. Potentially needs accommodations in school or life, such as noise-cancelling headphones or tag-less clothing. | Appropriate environments in order to thrive, but has more to do with understanding and an available space to retreat when overwhelmed (e.g., a quiet, cozy, corner at home or in the classroom). |
| Ultimate goal: | Be able to handle their disorganized sensory input more successfully in order to gain healthier responses and lead full lives. | Recognize their sensitivity as a strength and use it to successfully navigate the world. |
| Difference in sensitivities: | Problems with auditory input, balance, motor control, vestibular functions, proprioceptive functions, or body-spatial awareness. | Sensitivities are usually more specific to a particular type of texture or sound, and mostly more abstract/emotional sensitivities. |
| Key difference: | There is a dysfunction in the actual processing of sensory information within the brain. | Brains are in a constant state of hyper-awareness that can become overwhelming. . |
| Things to Look For | Extreme reactions to sudden sound or noise, avoids certain tactile stimulation and doesn’t get dizzy OR loves tactile stimulation all the time. Balance is a problem or might randomly trip over their own feet. | Often struggle to watch or read violent/upsetting things. Deeply moved by art, music, nature, etc. Often considered shy, quiet, introverted, and anti-social because they have to withdraw to recoup. |
| Symptoms / Outward Signs | Can act spacey and unbalanced OR meltdown with seemingly no control. May seem like they can’t even understand what you’re saying / are too scared to listen. | Overwhelmed by someone’s intensity and I cannot separate themself from them emotionally. Someone else’s emotions can make them physically ill. |
| Often (not always) Found in Children Also Identified As: | On the Autism spectrum | Gifted/Talented |
| Example: Child walks into a room with many other children running around | Potential reaction: Immediately starts crying, burying her head, and trying to climb up her parent’s leg to be picked up because of visual and auditory overwhelm. | Potential reaction: Clings to parent’s leg. May ask to leave or may cling to parent or cover ears until acclimates to the sensory overwhelm. |
| Example: Child goes outside | Potential reaction: Screams because of light sensitivity, no matter the time of year. Complete meltdown without sunglasses. Impacts her daily life acutely. | Potential reaction: Child covers eyes on the slightest sunny day and prefers to wear sunglasses most days. May cry or refuse to go outside without sunglasses on very sunny days. Inconvenient, but not life-altering. |
| Example: Child meets very extroverted family member for the first time | Potential reaction: Clings to parent frantically as person comes towards them. (Doesn’t like being touched and can’t process that sensation correctly.) Screams or curls onto floor when person suddenly laughs with loud boisterous laugh. (Brain can’t process the sudden sensory stimulation.) | Potential reaction: Buries face into parent or looks away. May find a quiet place to observe but not interact. Doesn’t make eye contact with that person. (Their boisterous personality is simply overwhelming the child’s hyper-aware senses.) |
| It Might Look Like: | Yelling, hitting, crying, curling up on the floor, not easily distracted, doesn’t want attention, even seemingly not listening. | Crying, scared face, silent, avoidant behaviors, hiding, exhaustion. |
For more information, I highly recommend:
Sensory Processing Sensitivity (or Highly Sensitive Person):
- ANY book by Elaine Aron, PhD. Maybe start with The Highly Sensitive Person – 25th Anniversary Edition
- Dr. Aron’s website, with information about new research, a self-test, and more at: https://.hsperson.com
Sensory Processing Disorder:
- The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Kranowitz
- STAR Institute for Sensory Processing at: https://sensoryhealth.org