# Heightened senses.When is it something to worry about?



## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

My 4yr old daughter's senses are extreme.She smells stuff that I can't smell unless I put my nose right up on it.She hates loud noises(stuff that doesn't seem too loud to me like dogs barking).She can't stand wet clothes including a bathing suit.I've given up trying to hide flax in her food because she tastes it every time(even a tiny bit in peanut butter).

But she's such a good natured kid that I never gave it a whole lot of thought.She doesn't have a huge melt down over the stuff.Although when she was little she did have a melt down every time we went somewhere like Target.I'm convinced it was overstimulation.

So at what point does it go from my kid just has extreme senses to something else?Can anyone point me in a good direction for reading about this stuff?


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## XanaduMama (May 19, 2006)

Sounds like she's "highly sensitive"! I don't think it's anything to worry about; just a matter of finding ways to cope/respect her needs.

Some good reads on this subject:

The Highly Sensitive Child
The Out-of-Sync Child
Sensational Kids

I'm sure others will have more suggestions. You can also google "sensory processing disorder" for other info.

hth


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## Vermillion (Mar 12, 2005)

I'm like this, and so is my son. We're both pretty senstive when it comes to textures, odors, sounds, tastes... We both get overstimulated pretty easily. For example, we both wear seamless socks because the little lines wll drive us NUTS if they rub the wrong way. I can't sleep if the blanket feels weird on my skin in any way... or if there's a crease in the sheet under me or something... Odors that barely bother others can be kind of overwhelming. I could go on.

I say we're highly sensitive, though many would say picky/fussy









Quote:


Originally Posted by *XanaduMama* 
Sounds like she's "highly sensitive"! I don't think it's anything to worry about; just a matter of finding ways to cope/respect her needs.

I agree. I wouldn't worry too much unless it becomes a huge issue, like, enough to interfere with life.


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## IncaMama (Jun 23, 2004)

yup i agree - it's just something interesting about her until it impedes daily functioning. nothing to "do" about it really unless you feel that it's interfering somehow with her life in an important way. my DS is the same way but it WAS impeding functioning so we've been getting help for him for a couple years now. but if it hadn't become a problem, we wouldn't have.









maybe she'll be a chef!


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## Cascadian (Jan 28, 2009)

My DD had heightened senses - extreme senses of smell, hearing, light sensitivity. Gagged regularly as a child on smells I couldn't percieve. Would b 'blinded' by normal sunlight. Freaked out at the sounds of car engines. Now, at 5, those have toned down and she has normal sensitivity for most of her senses, although smell is still quite strong. I always blamed it on all the fish oil I took during pregnancy (heard a few mamas say that...) but who knows what's going on..


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## SquishyKitty (Jun 10, 2005)

DS had/has sensory issues, and as a toddler and preschooler, they were very pronounced.

Couldn't stand loud noises (became very distressed), couldn't handle regular things like the wind in his face, strange textures like sand or hay or dirt, couldn't stand certain textures in his clothes, and could taste certain veggies a mile away, even when shredded and hidden in his food.

I think the veggie thing is just that smaller kids have more tastebuds, but for the rest, he was diagnosed with sensory integration disorder, and went through about 3 years of occupational therapy to develop techniques to work through and/or cope with his sensory issues.

I would keep a close eye on your DD, and if you feel like it's overwhelming her every day life, get her some help. It's really made a world of difference for my DS, and if you are able to provide her with coping techniques to make her life easier, it's really a good thing.


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## Mom2M (Sep 23, 2006)

I'm like this and so is my daughter.
She's also much more able to deal with it now that she's almost 4. When she was an infant/toddler, things really got to her and she had to get rid of them or she would feel stressed, even though I could tell she was trying not to. (if that makes sense!)

Smell is a huge one for both of us and probably the most difficult because even just going into stores, especially like Target or Walmart, there are extremely strong chemical smells which are really the worst. Just new clothes and rugs, cleaners, etc...I find it useful though because I feel like I can identify things that are bad for us by their smell.

Wet clothes, rough textures, bright lights, certain foods, the way people smell as they walk by.

I would keep an eye on her too, it sounds like she is adapting to her heightened sensitivity and that is really what she needs to do.

I make sure we both have some down time every day away from loud stimulation and smells, etc...and that is really vital in order to handle the rest of the day.

It's kind of cool too because we both seem to experience things to such a degree that we appreciate stuff that other people don't really pay attention to.

Deb


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## russsk (Aug 17, 2007)

I'm like this, and I think my son is, too. Definitely check out The Highly Sensitive Person and The Highly Sensitive Child. It's not anything to worry about at all. I'm especially sensitive to temperature. It drives DH crazy, because he can't change the thermostat even a degree without my knowing it, even in the middle of the night. Overstimulation can be a problem, so its important for HSPs to get some downtime every day.


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

Thank you so much for all the responses!And for the direction to search/read in.I was searching heightened senses and kept getting responses about World of War Craft,super heroes and vampires.









It really doesn't seem to interfere too much but I wanted to make sure I wasn't over looking something just because of her calm nature.She covers her ears a lot(she has some ear plugs now and likes to wear them when I vacuum if she doesn't feel like leaving the room) and I bring extra clothes with us quite a bit.Sometimes it creates mildly embarassing moments for me as we walk into somewhere and she says"It smells horrible in here.What is that disgusting smell?"







She seems to freeze up(instead of melting down) when there is too much going on(me too).She does get some quiet rest time every day.

The biggest struggle is the food but it is tangled up with my husbands food issues.He came from one of those houses where you ate everything on your plate,no matter what.So he has a hard time with her not wanting to eat stuff and can't seem to believe that yes,she can taste the onions..pepper..whatever that he thinks she shouldn't really be able to distinguish.He's trying very hard though to get past it or at least deal with it.

Thanks again for the response.They are very helpful.


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## QueenOfTheMeadow (Mar 25, 2005)

I'd just keep an eye on it as long as it isn't interfering with her life or development. For some kids, they grow out of it. For others it becomes more of an issue as life becomes more complex and more is expected of them. I think you're doing a great job being aware of what triggers things and helping her cope.


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## karemore (Oct 7, 2008)

I'm a HSP and so is DD. Half the pictures we have of her so far this summer are with her hands over her ears!

I recommend the books about HSP, and also Raising your spirited child. That one really helped me too.

It's great her dad is trying to understand, maybe after you read the books you can show him some of the parts that relate to your DD.


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