This would be easier for the doubters to understand if you ever had or knew a child who was extremely highly sensitive. Since they haven't learned to tolerate what bothers them or any coping skills, it is easier to detect that something is making them anxious or uncomfortable. Unfortunately, many adults and parents don't take children seriously when a child expresses their discomfort, or they can't understand it, or they minimize or discount it because "it's not that bad" (to the parents).

As an example, I took my son to Circus Circus when we were in Vegas to see the trapeze artists. The place was full of kids of course (he was 12 or so). A family watching between us and the act consisted of two parents, a small baby, and a toddler. As the music began, very loudly, and the lights dimmed and lots of lasers and stuff started happening, the toddler's hands flew up to her ears. It was a motion I recognized instantly, because my youngest has always covered his ears for loud noises. I have numerous pictures of him at fireworks shows, etc., with his ears covered by both hands or one ear to the shoulder and one hand on the other ear if he needed his hand. Even now, at 16, he mows the lawn with ear protection on.

The parents were upset with the toddler because she just could not enjoy the trapeze artist with the loud music. They kept trying to get her to look at the artist. They tried to pull her hands from her ears (heartless!) and eventually they made her cry by forcing the issue. Eventually she laid her head on dad's shoulder and turned her head away from the act. So not only was she overwhelmed by the sound, her parents made her cry AND she couldn't enjoy the act! As I watched all this unfold, I glanced over at my 12 year old, who ALSO had his hands over his ears. He was watching her, too.

She was too young to care what her parents thought and adapt her behavior to cope with the stimulation. But I bet she's learned since then. It would have been much better if she had had the chance to know what would happen and given the choice to leave if it was too much.

Kids who take off their shoes first chance they get (mine), refuse socks or insist on soft clothes or wearing them inside out, cover their ears for any loud noise (mine), are afraid of certain types of people from a young age (mine--clowns and mascots, started at 6 weeks), pick up on other people's moods early, refuse to touch certain types of fabric (mine), startle easily--these are kids who are likely on the highly sensitive side. They were probably also the newborn babies who didn't instantly drop off to sleep the time the family party got loud and raucous or in another overstimulating environment.

It's not a made up diagnosis. It's not the same as not liking broccoli. It's an experiential difference that shouldn't be made fun of.

Karen