My name is Fujiwara and I am a child psychologist working on the issue of truancy and withdrawal. I am currently an advisor to ToCo Ltd, where I focus on the factors that cause continued truancy and help children to return to school again. Today, I will talk about the last risk, hypersensitivity to surroundings (HSP), from the ‘four risks you need to know about to prevent truancy’.
Hypersensitivity to surroundings, the so-called Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) trait, is one of the most common trends seen in many children today. Children with this trait are sensitive to stimuli, and minor incidents, especially in school life, can put a strong strain on their minds. This often manifests itself in the form of non-attendance or resistance to attending school. In this article, we will explore this risk in depth and consider specific ways to prevent truancy.
CONTENTS.
- Background and characteristics of hypersensitivity to surroundings (HSP)
- Relationship between sensory sensitivity and avoidance behavior
- How to create the right home environment for an HSP child
- Working with Schools to Support HSP Children
- Finally: leaning on HSP characteristics
Background and characteristics of hypersensitivity to surroundings (HSP)
What is HSP?
HSP is a concept proposed by psychologist Elaine Aaron, Ph. It is not a disease or disorder, but an innate trait, and it is estimated that 15-20% of the population has HSP characteristics, with a certain number of children also having the trait.
Children with HSP characteristics often exhibit the following traits:
- Hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli such as ambient sound, light, smell, and temperature.
- Strongly influenced by the emotions, words, and facial expressions of others.
- Easily anxious or fearful of new environments or sudden changes.
- Easily aware of details, which can be a burden.
Children with these characteristics may experience especially great stress in school, a place of diverse stimuli. Therefore, understanding the characteristics of HSPs and providing appropriate support is very important to prevent truancy.
Why HSP traits lead to truancy
For children with HSP characteristics, school life can be a demanding environment. For example, situations may include the following
- Stress due to sensory overload
There are many different sensory stimuli at school, such as the dusty smell of the mats used in physical education class, the metal smell of the iron bars, the buzzing of the classroom, and the brightness of the fluorescent lights. These can cause very strong discomfort and stress for HSP children. - Excessive burden of relationships
Sensitive to the expressions and words of others, HSP children can be deeply hurt by minor arguments with friends or remarks from teachers. They may also experience excessive tension and pressure in classroom relationships. - Anxiety about new environment
Whenever there is a grade change or a class change, the burden of adjusting to the new environment is very high; HSP children have a high hurdle of “getting used to it,” and this can lead to school absenteeism or non-attendance.
Relationship between sensory sensitivity and avoidance behavior
Sensory sensitivity and its effects
Sensory sensitivity is a common challenge for children with HSP characteristics. Specifically, the following senses are often problematic
- Sounds: the buzzing in the classroom, the chimes at the start of class, the sound of a pistol at an athletic event, etc.
- Smells: the smell of school lunches, tools used in the school yard, and shoes in the gymnasium.
- Tactile sensations: the feel of the tags on the school uniform and the tools used in physical education class.
If these sensory stimuli are too strong, the child will unconsciously avoid the place. At first, the child may only feel “I don’t like it,” but if this continues, the feeling will change to “I don’t want to go there,” and eventually to “I can’t go there.
Enhanced evasive action
The desire to escape unpleasant situations is a natural human response. However, when this avoidance behavior becomes habitual, it can manifest itself in the form of nonattendance. For example, here is how it goes
- He missed PE class because of the smell of the iron bars, which he didn’t like.
- When she misses P.E. class, she becomes concerned about the way her classmates look at her.
- They feel uncomfortable not only in P.E. class but also in the classroom as a whole.
- Eventually, they begin to avoid the entire school, leading to truancy.
Thus, the chain of sensory sensitivity and avoidance behavior increases the risk of nonattendance.
How to create the right home environment for an HSP child
For children with HSP characteristics, it is of utmost importance that the home be a “place of emotional stability. If the stimulation and stress of school life can be appropriately alleviated at home, it will help prevent truancy and school dropout.
creating an environment that is close to the child’s senses
Children with HSP are sensitive to stimuli around them and need to have an environment that is comfortable for them. The following measures can be adopted at home.
- Ensuring quiet space
If your child is easily stimulated, it is important to provide a quiet, safe space in his or her room or a corner of the living room. Eliminate extraneous sound and light and create a place where they can relax at their own pace. - Items made of soft materials and comfortable to the touch
Children with sensory sensitivities may feel stressed by uncomfortable clothing or bedding. It is important to choose materials that the child feels comfortable in. - Reviewing household smells
Smells in the home can also affect children. Strongly scented fabric softeners and air fresheners can cause stress, so care should be taken to use fragrance-free products whenever possible.
voice respecting the emotions specific to HSPs
Children with HSP are sensitive to even the casual comments of their parents. Therefore, care must be taken in the way you speak to them and talk to them at home.
- Be aware of positive language
When your child makes a mistake or is faced with something he/she has difficulty with, say something positive such as “Why can’t you do it? instead of “Why can’t you do it?” Use positive words such as “It’s great that you tried” or “Next time, let’s try a little bit. - Verbal acceptance of children’s emotions
Children with HSP may not be able to handle their emotions well on their own. For example, when a child says, “I’m tired of everyone talking so loud at school,” you can say, “I see that you did. It is tiring, isn’t it?” By replying with words of sympathy, the child can feel relieved. - Don’t worry too much.
HSP children are also sensitive to their parents’ emotions. If the mother shows anxious expressions or words, they may sense this and become even more anxious. Worry is natural, but be careful not to communicate it too directly to the child.
familiarize them with stimuli through fun experiences
For HSP children, it is very difficult to get used to stimuli that they are uncomfortable with. However, if they can gradually become accustomed to them through “fun experiences,” this will help reduce the risk of non-attendance.
- Step-by-step exposure to situations you are not comfortable with
For example, if a child has difficulty with the smell and feel of the bars used in gym class, we aim to help the child get used to them step by step, starting with a light touch on the bars, followed by a short period of hanging from them. - Approaches that elicit interest
Trying an approach that incorporates the child’s favorite character or hobby can also be effective. For example, even if a child has difficulty with the bars, using gloves with a favorite character on them may reduce resistance. - Share positive results
If they are even slightly exposed to a difficult situation, tell them, “Good job,” so that they will remember it as a successful experience. This will motivate them to try again next time.
Working with Schools to Support HSP Children
It is important to support the HSP child in cooperation with the school as well as the family.
1. information sharing with schools
By sharing information about the characteristics of HSP with the school, it will be easier for the school to make appropriate considerations for the child.
- Communicate the child’s characteristics
It is important to tell your homeroom teacher or school counselor what specific stimuli you are sensitive to. For example, specific examples such as, “I have a hard time with the dust from the mats used in gym class,” will make it easier for the teacher to give consideration. - Ask for flexibility.
If your child is having difficulty in a particular subject or situation, ask for flexibility to allow him or her to observe a class temporarily or to participate in a different activity.
2. school-wide support system
Support for children with HSP characteristics is an issue that should be addressed by the entire school, not just the homeroom teacher.
- Increase understanding among faculty and staff
Training and study sessions on HSPs and making sure that teachers and staff understand this trait will facilitate support throughout the school. - Creating a secure environment
It is important that the school as a whole promote efforts to create a safe environment for children, such as by controlling the volume and lighting in the classroom.
Finally: leaning on HSP characteristics
Children with HSP characteristics are indeed sensitive to stimuli around them, an aspect that puts them at risk for truancy. However, this sensitivity can also lead to “strengths” such as concern for others, artistic talent, and sensitive observation skills.
When mothers accept their children’s characteristics and recognize their strengths, they can help their children overcome school life with confidence. Please take a few steps today to prevent the risk of truancy.
| Keywords | Essentials | Actions required |
|---|---|---|
| Hypersensitivity to surroundings (HSP) | Children with HSP tend to be more sensitive to sensory stimuli and relationships and are at increased risk for truancy. | Understand sensory sensitivities and create an environment that reduces the number of stimuli they are uncomfortable with. Provide gradual familiarization and successful experiences. |
| Effects of sensory sensitivity | Strong stimuli such as sound, light, and smell can cause children to avoid school. | Reduce the burden on the child by making efforts to reduce stimulation in the classroom environment and in school life. |
| Burden of relationships | Sensitive to the words and attitudes of others, HSP children can be deeply hurt by even minor problems. | Show empathy when trouble arises, accept the child’s feelings, and offer reassurance. |
| Enhanced evasive action | Avoidance behavior due to oversensitivity can easily become habitual and lead to nonattendance. | Expose them to situations they are uncomfortable with in stages, and gradually familiarize them with the situation to the extent that it is not unreasonable. |
| Information sharing with schools | Informing the school of the child’s HSP characteristics allows for detailed support. | Share with the homeroom teacher any stimuli or situations that the child is particularly uncomfortable with and ask for appropriate consideration. |
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About us
We at ToCo provide a service that helps students to re-enter school in an average of 15 days. Based on our representative’s own experience, we launched this service in order to solve the difficulties that families struggling with truancy face in dealing with the problem and the tendency for school attendance to become intermittent.
Some of you may also be puzzled by the recent truancy services that charge hundreds of thousands of yen. Our service continues to offer the lowest price in the industry, while demonstrating through our track record that cost and effectiveness are not proportional. Please take a look at our service details.