Hyper-sensitivity

Children who are hyper-sensitive or over-responsive to touch, movement, smell or noise can find environments and sensory stimuli, irritating or frightening. These children react like we would to a perceived threat. This is a basic instinct of the sympathetic nervous system and results in a flight or fight reaction. 

Hyper-sensitivity can make the child resist having their hair washed, having their nails cut or wearing certain fabrics or clothes.  It can cause them to be very fussy eaters and controlling of their immediate surroundings.

Busy or noisy places can be stressful and they can find the classroom tiring with its sensory overload, which affects behaviour and/or concentration.  When a child wants to flee or fight a movement, touch or noise, their body is not set up to process fine discrimination or subtle movement which affects the development of both gross and fine motor skills. Sensory sensitivity or defensiveness will also impact a child’s well-being and emotional stability:  much like as adults we feel more sensitive/emotional/aggressive when we have a low level of continual irritation, stress or anxiety.