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The Highly Sensitive
Child often makes mountains out of molehills emotionally.
She experiences her feelings fully and strongly. She can seem to
be very moody, self-centered, demanding, clingy, whiny, bossy,
throwing lots of tantrums kind of child. And she is. Her
feelings have seemingly taken over her. The overly sensitive
child can easily feel overwhelmed by physical sensations as
well. A friendly touch may feel harsh to her, for example. These
childrem often do feel bombarded by inward and outward
sensations and emotion, and they usually react accordinly--grandly,
strongly, and intensely.
The Self-Absorbed Child often begins life as a very
"easy" baby. The baby who withdraws may be content to just lie
and stare at a mobile. He seems to be looking inward. These
children often sit alone, away from the kids playing together on
the playground. He doesn't make eye contact. Such children are
often physically uncoordinated, with poor muscle tone. They have
difficulty understanding what's being said to them, coupled with
a difficulty putting their own thoughts into words.
Communication with a seemingly uninterested or rejecting child
can be extremely draining and emotionally exhausting.
The Defiant Child: "NO! NO! NO! You are not my boss!"
Does this sound familar? These children have a great need to
feel organized and in control, and they focus intently on one
task. Difficulties often arise during transition from one
activity to the next. The defiant child tends to see the world
in a perfectionist wat--all-or-nothing type thinking-and can get
very upset when things don't go the way she thinks they should.
The inattentive Child is seen as one who finds it hard
to concentrate and attend, and is easily distracted. These
children are often labeled as having Attention Deficit Disorder
(ADD). They have touble following directions and often wander
away when people speak to them. They move restessly from one toy
or activity to the next, seemingly unable to hold their
concentration anywhere. They are seen as "spacey."
The Active/Agressive Child is the impulsive,
frustrated, and easily angered child always on the go. The child
horses around a lot, constantly roughhousing or fighting, while
his parents call him a "little daredevil." He seems to crave
action and movement, along with having motor control
difficulties. He may just want to touch his baby sister, but
because of his poor motor control, she ends up being pushed
over. These children often have trouble understanding non-verbal
communication, and misread people and situations. A parent's
warning look may go completely unnoticed as he increased his
energetic playfulness into aggressive fighting. These children
usually aren't able to conceptualize and verbalize their
feelings--their anger is acted upon instead of discussed.
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