TABLE 1.

List of distinguishing characteristics of highly sensitive persons considered childhood adulthood comparison.

HSP in childhood	HSP in adulthood
● The child tends to get particularly anxious about new situations, more so than peers, gasps easily, does not cope well with big changes, and generally does not appreciate big surprises	● Preference in remaining on the edge of a situation for a moment before entering it; exploration occurs first through observation and reflection
● The child prefers quiet, often solitary, and sometimes repetitive games (“favorite games or books”), considers whether it is safe before playing “dangerous” games	● Great awareness of details and minute changes
● The child tends to show interest and attention to others, especially considering vulnerable children and their emotions	● Consider every possible consequence before acting: “do it once and do it best.”
● The child reacts strongly to what he perceives as injustices, to himself but sometimes to others as well	● Perception of others’ emotions and feelings, intuited from non-verbal details
● The child is a perfectionist, has high expectations of his/her own performance, gets easily upset if he/she fails at something or loses in a game	● Great capacity for empathy and emotional connection
● On such occasions, the child may exhibit much more explosive and angrier behavior than usual and broods long after possible failures and it is difficult to calm him down	● Greater impact of the surrounding emotional environment, both negatively and positively, in childhood history and adulthood
● The child broods over any form of criticism or teasing he/she receives, especially from peers, and particularly suffers from it, struggling to “let it slide off”	● Particularly conscientious acting with great attention to the link between causes and consequences
● The child learns better from gentle correction than strong punishment, and generally struggles to share rules and punishments if he/she does not fully understand their meaning.	● Particular intolerance and bewilderment with respect to injustice, environmental concerns, compassion
● The child seems very intuitive, to the point of sometimes seeming to be able to read minds	● Frequent overstimulation, overload from overactivation (worse performance) but also from hypoactivation (boredom): necessary balance
● The child is very attentive to even the slightest changes in the environment, notices even the smallest details, especially social ones, and easily perceives and absorbs family tensions	● Talent, passion, or attraction with respect to art forms
● It may happen that the child acts as a mediator or restrains his/her emotions so as not to make the situation worse	● Interest in less material, and therefore deeper and more spiritual aspects
● The child can empathize with the moods of others, even non-family members and is particularly attentive to the needs of others, and easily notices their distress.	● Great emotional reactivity to events, subjectively more intense than others
● The child is not prone to teasing or insulting other children; he/she can be protective at times	● Particular stress with respect to change
● The child tends to follow general rules conscientiously, almost too rigidly	● Dreams are often vivid and full of detail
● At times, the child appears visibly older than his/her age because of his/her ability to intuit even what is unspoken; he/she is very curious to go deeper, even on complex topics, and can be surprising in the ability to associate with situations and concepts, even if no one has ever explained them before	● Recognition of such characteristics since childhood
● The child feels things deeply and often asks deep, reasoned and provocative questions.	● Overstimulation in environments with bright lights or loud noises (this may not manifest in adolescence)
● The child takes parental promises very literally and learns quickly whether these premises are fulfilled or not, and in the latter case manifests much annoyance	● Frequent physical reactions, more reactive immune response, particular sensitivity to pain, stimulants, drugs
● The child loves contact with art, music, fantasy and nature, especially animals	● Often indirect mode of communication, considering the possible reaction in the interlocutor
● The child is disturbed by noisy places, dislikes chaotic situations and social situations in which he/she has to deal with unfamiliar environments and people, or face new tests and tasks in which he will be judged	● Deep contact with nature, with a calming effect, fondness for animals, plants, and pleasure in being in or near water
● When subjected to situations of overstimulation the child may suddenly exhibit very oppositional and defiant behavior, even to the point of becoming aggressive and uncaring of others; he/she also has difficulty falling asleep after a particularly stimulating/exciting day
● The child is particularly sensitive to pain, and tends to somatise discomforts and fears, for example in headaches or stomach aches and a general lowering of the immune system
● The child protests against tight or rustling clothes, shoe seams or clothing labels, feels the urgency to change clothes e.g., when they are wet or silted up