It can be a problematical and difficult prospect to be told that you or your child has a learning disability. There are usually a lot of steps to be taken to move toward being able to learn at the same pace as those around you. And sometimes more importantly, you will now be faced with the stigma attached to the title. But what if you found out that your so-called learning disability was really the result of your having a finely-tuned nervous system, and when you are placed in the right situation, you learn just as fast, if not faster, than your peers? Many are finding that they have been mistaken as learning-disabled, only to find out later that they may simply be considered a highly sensitive person. In this article, we will explore the difference between having a learning disability and being a highly sensitive person, and some ways that being sensitive can actually be beneficial if learned to discipline.
There are loads of websites ready with content and information on having a learning disability. And many of them give symptoms of the “problem,” including difficulty understanding simple instructions, difficulty concentrating when reading or writing, being unable to tell important information from unimportant information, and difficulty organizing and completing writing projects. While these are explicit hindrances in a person’s ability to learn, there are often other ways to inform these systems, especially once you conceive the symptoms of a highly sensitive person.
The term highly sensitive person was coined by Elaine Aron. She explained that being highly sensitive means that your nervous system is more sensitive to the subtleties of your environment, and that the brain processes information very deeply, resulting in becoming over stimulated or overwhelmed easily by a lot of information According to Aron, 15 to 20% of the population is highly sensitive, but most don’t know it, which means there is a large number of people who could simply be sensitive to their surroundings and thus inhibited in an academic setting without being learning disabled.
I am considered to be a highly sensitive person and have spent much of my life thinking I was learning disabled. The reason for this was because I displayed some of the symptoms of a learning disability. I had a difficult time understanding simple instructions because I was overwhelmed by the amount of words directed at me. Whenever I was able to calm down, I could understand any instructions easily. Also, I often couldn’t concentrate, which resulted in me doing poorly on tests. For example, during my ACT testing there was a siren blaring outside the window for almost 45 minutes and that’s all I could think about; there was just too much information between the siren and the test to process.
As a child, I had a very difficult functioning around others because I was very shy and overwhelmed by large groups of people. I also had a difficult time working under the pressure of a watchful eye. However, if I was left alone, I could work at twice the speed of others, often finishing my tests in 30 minutes when it took others an hour or more. I could work non-stop for long periods of time as long as I could go out and bath in the sunlight alone. And I often needed extended periods to myself to be intensely introverted, often being able to go days without communicating with others.
My teachers sometimes threw hints at me to look into being tested for a learning disability; and at times I considered it, unable to explain why I sometimes could not take in information – especially if there were no diagrams and pictures involved. After spending years not understanding myself and my often low grades, I began to do research to see if I really had a “disability.”
In doing my research, I ran across information on the highly sensitive person and became intrigued. Once I read over the information, I realized that I was not somewhat highly sensitive; I was VERY highly sensitive. On the “self test” administered on the Highly Sensitive Person website hsperson.com, I scored 25 out of 27 in favor of being highly sensitive. That let me know that many of my academic issues could easily be explained by my highly sensitive nature.
In learning more about the highly sensitive person, I found that most highly sensitive people are unable to watch a lot of violent or negative television without being adversely affected, many are unable to take in caffeine or sugar without “feeling” the difference, some have a very difficult time working stressful 9-5 jobs, often having to quit due to physical ailments brought on by the pressure, and both short-term and long-term abrupt changes can severely disorient them. I also learned that many highly sensitive people find that it is easier to work from a standpoint of purpose. They must fulfill what is considered to be their “calling” or they can never be happy – their super-sensitive nervous system won’t let them rest until they are living an enlightened life. As a result, I’ve done the same, enrolling in an institution that will educate me on teaching others to accept themselves for exactly who they are – and I feel great doing it!
Learning the background of the highly sensitive person has helped me to come to terms with who I am as a person and member of society. Early in life I felt like an outcast due to my extremely shy and introverted nature; and course being viewed as a slow learner didn’t help my self-esteem. But after learning that there are more people out there like me – a large number of people at that – I can feel comfortable that there is a place for someone like me; a person who is smart and talented, but had to learn the best ways to thrive in a high energy society. Now I want to encourage others who may know a highly sensitive person to view them differently. Instead of believing they are lacking or even learning disabled, consider that they are just different than you, like every other unique person in the world – and that is okay.
The following story was related to me by a friend and I felt that this subject needed to talked about, it is very important to deal with these various learning disabilities.
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