Sensory Processing Disorder when Gifted and/or Highly Sensitive

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
Sensory Processing Disorder (which may be called Sensory Processing Dysfunction, Sensory Integration Disorder, or simply SPD), occurs when the sensory signals received by the brain do not get organized and integrated appropriately. This can cause misinterpretation of sensory input, which is why people with SPD perceive things differently than typically sensing people. Highly sensitive people might have only one area of sensitivity (for example, one type of overexcitability), or they might have any number of them, including them all.
Over or Under Responses To Stimuli
If you have SPD, the messages your brain receives might seem too much (too loud, too rough, too painful, too intense, etc.) or not enough (too quiet, too still, too light, too soft, etc.). As mentioned above, some types of SPD include sensory under-response. This could mean needing to touch things very firmly to notice that they are there, even to the point of bruising or needing music to be very loud.
SPD Can Be Painful or Highly Challenging
The pain (or challenge) of SPD could look like having an overwhelmingly painful experience while a vacuum cleaner runs, feeling overwhelmed or in pain if there are too many children talking in a cafeteria, or a need for the music volume to be set very low. It could also mean removing all of the tags from clothing, or wearing either no socks or seamless socks, and being sensitive food texture, or strong scents. Counseling can help with understanding, reducing and managing the challenges associated with sensory intensities.