HIGH SENSITIVITY IN CHILDHOOD
HIGH SENSITIVITY IN CHILDHOOD

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents the existing literature on the development of highly sensitive children from birth to adolescence. The most important traits of highly sensitive children are described, as well as the results of the research on highly sensitive children. Namely, the scientific literature states that there are about 20% of highly sensitive people in the general population. For this reason, it is necessary for professionals (psychologists, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists), as well as parents and teachers, to become better acquainted with the basic characteristics of sensitivity. It often happens that highly sensitive children are diagnosed with a disorder such as autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or are assessed to be less intelligent simply because the experts are not familiar with the basic characteristics of highly sensitive people. Even though the research on sensitivity has increased worldwide over the last twenty years, this is not the case in our region, and experts working in clinical practice in Serbia are largely unfamiliar with sensitivity and its basic characteristics. However, experts, parents and teachers can adequately support highly sensitive children only if they understand the differences between highly sensitive and non-highly sensitive individuals, the basic characteristics of sensitivity, and the various factors that influence the physical and mental health of highly sensitive children.

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