Learning from the Highly Sensitive Child

April Martin-Ko has been working in the non-profit sector with diverse children, youth and families for over 20 years, and is the Provincial Coordinator for the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program®. In her recent blog on the BC Council for Families website, Learning from the Highly Sensitive Child, she features the work of Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl. Dr. Schonert-Reichl is a Professor in the Human Development, Learning, and Culture area in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and the Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership in the School of Population and Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC.   Keeping in Touch recently featured an introductory video on social-emotional learning by Dr. Schonert-Reichl in the November 2015 edition.  The blog references a lecture by Dr. Schonert-Reichl on her research available here as well as work by Dr. Elaine Aron and the team she is working with, available here.

April Martin-Ko discusses the connections between the findings of Dr. Aron and her team on brain activity linked to empathy, and to thoughts, feeling and perceptions,  with the research of Dr. Schonert-Reichl on Social Emotional Development and Health in children.

Martin-Ko points out, “In the past HSPs have often been the victims of bullying from children, and teachers, caregivers or other professionals often become impatient with them. Often ridiculed or told to ‘buck-up’, it is heartening to know that these traits are indeed needed, and are actually very important strengths to learn from and to be drawn upon.” She points out the value of the empathetic and intuitive skills of HSPs and suggests areas in which these qualities can be encouraged and valued within group processes.  To read more, access the full blog post.