The science
What is high sensitivity?
High sensitivity, formally called Sensory Processing Sensitivity, is an inherited temperament trait found in 15 to 20 percent of people, and in over 100 other species. It is not a disorder, a phase, or a flaw. It is a different way of taking in the world.
The DOES framework
Four traits that define a sensitive nervous system.
Dr. Elaine Aron, the researcher who first identified the trait, describes sensitivity through four hallmarks she calls DOES.
Depth of processing
Sensitive people process information more thoroughly, noticing connections and implications others miss. This is the engine of their creativity, empathy, and insight.
Overstimulation
Because they take in and process more, sensitive nervous systems reach their limit sooner. What looks like a meltdown is often a system that is simply full.
Emotional responsiveness and empathy
Sensitive people feel their own emotions intensely and attune deeply to the emotions of others. They are often the first to sense when something is wrong.
Sensitivity to subtleties
A change in tone, a flickering light, a scratchy tag, a shift in someone’s mood. The sensitive system registers fine details that most people filter out entirely.
Myths and truths
What sensitivity is, and is not.
Sensitivity is a weakness to outgrow.
It is an inherited, measurable trait that stays for life. The goal is understanding, not correction.
Sensitive kids are just being dramatic.
Their nervous system genuinely registers and processes more. The intensity is real, not performed.
They will be fragile and struggle in life.
With understanding and the right support, sensitive people are among the most creative, empathic, and conscientious.
Sensitivity is the same as anxiety or a disorder.
Sensitivity is a normal temperament trait. It can coexist with anxiety, but it is not a diagnosis.
The research behind our work
Five fields of science, one curriculum.
Dr. Elaine Aron's HSP Research
Four decades of research establishing Sensory Processing Sensitivity as a measurable, inherited trait.
Polyvagal Theory
A map of the nervous system that explains why a sensitive body reaches shutdown or alarm more readily.
Attachment Science
How early relationships shape the way a sensitive child learns to regulate and reconnect.
Dan Siegel's Interpersonal Neurobiology
The science of how relationships literally shape the developing brain, moment to moment.
Epigenetics
How environment and experience switch genes on and off, and why context matters as much as wiring.
Ready to put the science to work?
Our programs translate every one of these findings into tools you can use with the sensitive person in your life, including yourself.