Sensitive Children

Every child is different in how they experience and respond to the world around them. Some are more sensitive than others. Highly sensitive children are born with a natural ability to notice small details and think deeply about their experiences. While this can make them more vulnerable to negative aspects of their environment, it also means they can benefit greatly from the right support.

For highly sensitive children, the world feels more intense. Loud or busy places can feel overwhelming, while positive, supportive environments help them flourish. At home, they may stick to routines and get upset by changes or conflicts. However, they are often creative and curious, excelling in artistic and imaginative activities. At school, they might struggle with large groups or unexpected situations, but they are typically thoughtful, kind, and dedicated students.

Understanding individual needs

By understanding their individual needs and providing a calm, structured and supportive space, parents and teachers can help highly sensitive children feel safe and confident. This allows them to develop healthy coping strategies, build resilience, and excel by using their strengths such as deep thinking, empathy, and creativity.

How do I know if a child is highly sensitive?

Sensitivity can be measured with questionnaires.

The Test for Children questionnaire can be completed by children aged 8–18 on their own.
The Test your Child questionnaire can be completed by parents of children aged 4-18.
The Test your Student questionnaire can be completed by teachers for students aged 6-10.

It is important to remember that the results give an indication of sensitivity and do not represent a diagnosis.

Sensitivity is not a clinical condition or a disorder. In fact, most sensitive children will do as well or better than less sensitive children.

However, if a child is experiencing significant challenges at school or home, they may benefit from a professional assessment.

Tools for teachers

Teachers can use the Test Your Student questionnaire to determine whether a student is highly sensitive and at risk of overstimulation in the classroom.

The teacher’s perspective is particularly useful because some sensitive children only struggle in school, where the environment can be more challenging than at home.

To find out more about highly sensitive students and help them thrive at school we have developed a short training module for teachers and parents.

Try our training module

Why should teachers learn about high sensitivity in school?

With up to 30% of children being highly sensitive, it’s important for teachers to recognize and support this trait in the classroom as it can have a profound effect on a child’s experience and enjoyment of school.

Tailoring teaching methods and creating a positive environment can enhance student success and help build resilience, leading to better outcomes for both the students and the class as a whole.

Frequently asked questions

How can I provide a supportive environment for my child at home and at school?

Sensitive children do best in a supportive and understanding environment. At home, consistent routines, patience, and a safe space to relax can help them adjust to new situations and regulate their emotions. Encouraging creative activities allows them to express their thoughts and feelings, and celebrating their unique strengths helps build confidence.

In school, these children often excel academically due to their attention to detail and depth of processing. However, they may also need help managing perfectionism or stress. Teachers can create a supportive learning environment by recognizing their needs and helping them feel comfortable and understood. Our online training module offers guidance for parents and teachers on how to best support highly sensitive children in the classroom.

How can I get a professional assessment of a child’s sensitivity?

Why might a sensitive child struggle at school but not at home?

Parents of highly sensitive children may be able to provide a home environment that is calm, predictable, and structured. At school, the bustling atmosphere and behaviours of other students can feel overwhelming, and a highly sensitive child can appear shy, distracted or reluctant to participate. Teachers are experienced in assessing students, and can use a short questionnaire to find out whether high sensitivity is affecting your child’s experience of school.

What are the advantages and challenges of High Sensitivity at School?

Highly sensitive children tend to be deep thinkers, empathetic, and thoughtful students, often outperforming their peers. They are deeply aware of other people’s feelings and can show kindness and compassion at an early age.

These traits often make them excel academically and build strong connections with teachers. However, they may also face challenges such as anxiety, emotional outbursts, or difficulty focusing in noisy or chaotic environments. While children can’t change a predisposition to high sensitivity, they can learn strategies to cope with stress when supported by teachers and parents.

Are highly sensitive children generally introverted?

Introversion and high sensitivity are separate but sometimes overlapping traits. Sensitivity describes the capacity to perceive and process information about the environment. Introversion in children is often characterised by a tendency for shy behaviour and the preference for smaller social groups and sometimes solitude.

Whereas as some highly sensitive children can be introverted, others are more extroverted. Sometimes highly sensitive children can appear shy and reluctant to participate in activities whilst they evaluate or process a situation, but this does not mean they are also introverted. Extroverted highly sensitive children tend to be outgoing and enjoy social activities but can experience overstimulation due to their heightened sensory sensitivity.

Is sensitivity related to autism and other developmental conditions?

Although research studies suggest that sensitivity is associated with both Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), sensitivity is different from autism and ADHD.

For example, autism and ADHD are considered neurodevelopmental conditions with clearly defined diagnostic criteria that characterise a small proportion of the population (about 2-3% for Autism and about 5% for ADHD). Sensitivity, on the other hand, represents a common human trait with up to 30% of the population being particularly sensitive.

Importantly, autism and ADHD are complex neurodevelopmental conditions with often different patterns of symptoms between individuals. For example, some people with autism or ADHD experience high sensory sensitivity whilst for others sensory sensitivity can be especially low.

Although sensitivity is different from autism and ADHD, it is possible that someone is both sensitive and autistic, or is characterised by both high sensitivity and ADHD. However, whilst many autistic people and people with ADHD may share aspects of heightened sensitivity, most people that are highly sensitive are likely not autistic and don’t have ADHD.

More research is needed to unravel similarities and differences between sensitivity and neurodevelopmental conditions. Importantly, the available sensitivity measures are not suitable as diagnostic tools, and any person concerned about autism or ADHD should be seen by a specialist to ensure proper and professional diagnosis and appropriate support.

Why is my highly sensitive child often exhausted after school?

High sensitivity is a personality trait that is present all the time, but how much it affects people can depend on where they are. For example, some children who are highly sensitive might feel they need to hide their true feelings and reactions at school to fit in with others.

This can be very tiring and might make it hard for them to fully take part in school activities. Instead of showing signs of feeling overwhelmed or tired at school, they might hold it in and let those feelings out later at home, where they feel safe.

If you think that your child is highly sensitive but is "masking" or hiding their natural behaviour at school, it can help to talk to their teacher. Together, you can find ways to make school a more comfortable place, so your child can be themselves and feel supported.

Is there training for teachers of older students?

The teacher training module covers basic information about the personality trait of high sensitivity, which is also relevant for older students.

Similarly, the teacher tips provided in the module can be applied to older children and serve as a helpful starting point for conversations with students to better understand how to create a supportive and effective learning environment for them at school.

Importantly, older students can reflect on their feelings and behaviours and complete the Child Test questionnaire on their own.