Why Gifted Kids Hear Rejection in a Neutral Comment
Rejection Sensitivity in Gifted and Twice-Exceptional Children
Rejection sensitivity runs on a spectrum, and for gifted and twice-exceptional children it is amplified by a nervous system wired to process signals quickly and deeply. Psychiatrist William Dodson coined Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) to describe the extreme, almost physically painful reaction some people with ADHD have to perceived rejection. The piece covers overlapping frameworks—ADHD, autism, sensory processing sensitivity, and Dabrowski's overexcitabilities—and offers practical strategies like pre-correcting before feedback and separating performance from self.
Dodson found that the large majority of adolescents and adults with ADHD he surveyed recognized this experience in themselves, and a third named it the most impairing symptom they had.