207 Understanding HSP Neurodiversity and Executive Functioning

03/12/25 • 14 min

Have you ever wondered, are highly sensitives neurodivergent? As an HSP, you’ve likely questioned this but haven’t arrived at a definitive answer. There is a lot of information out there on the internet, and a lot of it misinformed so it is important for us to address this by looking at the research and re-returning to what it means to be highly sensitive. Both the research on HSPs (lead by Dr. Elaine Aaron) and the neurodiversity social justice movement (lead by Judy Singer) emerged in the mid-1990s, and there are interesting parallels in their development. Human brains are all wired differently, leading to diverse interpretations of the world, and HSPs represent a unique variation within the neurodiverse population. We are uniquely wired to use our strengths in our business and leadership roles to make the world a better place.

In this week’s episode, I begin a discussion on whether highly sensitives are neurodivergent or not. I revisit and share the definition of what it is to be highly sensitive, as well as the definitions for neurodiversity, neurodivergent, and executive functioning. All crucial things to keep in mind as we consider this important topic. I examine the research and how it relates to us as highly sensitives in business and leadership. Listen until the end where I share five key points to bring it all together so you can better understand yourself and your HSP neurodiversity. Also, be sure to tune into our next episode where we will take this topic further and discuss enhancing HSP neurodiversity and executive functioning.

“HSPs are a subset of the population, a subset of the population who are high in a personality trait known as sensory processing sensitivity or SPS, sensory processing sensitivity or SPS. Those with high levels of SPS display increased emotional sensitivity, stronger reactivity to both external and internal stimuli – pain, hunger, light noise – and as a result of these personality traits and HSP tends to have a complex inner life.” – Heather Dominick

Listen and Learn:

2:16: What does it mean to be a highly sensitive person
4:48: Why is it important to be reminded of what it means to be highly sensitive
5:35: What does it mean to be neurodivergent
6:58: How to define neurodiversity
10:13: What is executive functioning
12:53: How are highly sensitive people built differently

“Differences are not viewed as deficits.” – Heather Dominick

Links and Resources:

Get your copy of Heather’s book DIFFERENT: http://www.differentthebook.com/
Get your copy of the HSE Training Kit: Survive to Thrive: http://www.shiftfromsurvivetothrive.com/
Get your copy of the HSE Assessment and Success Guide: http://www.myhsetype.com/
Learn more about the Highly Sensitive Leadership Training Program: https://www.businessmiracles.com/highly-sensitive-leadership-training-program/

Learn more about this episode of Business Miracles at https://www.businessmiracles.com/207

Listen and Learn:

2:16: What does it mean to be a highly sensitive person
4:48: Why is it important to be reminded of what it means to be highly sensitive
5:35: What does it mean to be neurodivergent
6:58: How to define neurodiversity
10:13: What is executive functioning
12:53: How are highly sensitive people built differently

“Differences are not viewed as deficits.” – Heather Dominick

Links and Resources:

Get your copy of Heather’s book DIFFERENT: http://www.differentthebook.com/
Get your copy of the HSE Training Kit: Survive to Thrive: http://www.shiftfromsurvivetothrive.com/
Get your copy of the HSE Assessment and Success Guide: http://www.myhsetype.com/
Learn more about the Highly Sensitive Leadership Training Program: https://www.businessmiracles.com/highly-sensitive-leadership-training-program/

Learn more about this episode of Business Miracles at https://www.businessmiracles.com/207

Previous Episode

206 Power of the Heart, Part 2 – Nurturing Self, Relationships & Social Impact

The upcoming months are going to include massive collective transitions that will tempt you into HSP confusion and overwhelm. To support yourself you will want to proactively establish a core-practice of self-reflection. You will want this core-practice to contain 3 key elements: self-love, self-consciousness and self-support. All in order to identify where you are possibly compromising your personal truth, allowing energy leaks and unnecessarily absorbing other people’s emotions. Finally, this will support you with establishing additional core-practices to, again, pro-actively nurture yourself, your relationships, and your social impact from a place of honoring your sensitivity and using your HSP strengths. This will fortify you in being able to continue to create, take action and show up as an HSP in business and leadership regardless of what is happening in the world around you.

This week’s episode is a continuation from our last episode. In this part two, I share another special snippet from one of our Intuitive Planning Days within the Highly Sensitive Leadership Training Programs where I guide HSPs in business and leadership to plan the next four months from their heart. You’ll get the rare opportunity to peek into what it is like to use your intuition to guide you into right action and to be the architect of your destiny. Listen in to receive heart guidance on discovering where you need to nurture your relationships with self and others, and be in action in a way that works for you, giving you hope, and helping you to be happier doing your part to nurture social impact in the world.

“You will be tempted into confusion over the next months.” – Heather Dominick

Listen and Learn:

3:04: How to use intuitive discernment in relationships that do not align with your interests
3:50: What does it mean to be conscious
5:03: How to use core practice and consistency to stay clear in relationships
6:42: A guided meditation on the power of the heart
13:38 How to discover the social impact you are meant to nurture

“The observation and study of your relationships is the surest way to see where your energy leaks are and where you compromise your personal truth.” – Heather Dominick

Links and Resources:

Get your copy of Heather’s book DIFFERENT: http://www.differentthebook.com/ Get your copy of the HSE Training Kit: Survive to Thrive: http://www.shiftfromsurvivetothrive.com/ Get your copy of the HSE Assessment and Success Guide: http://www.myhsetype.com/

Learn more about this episode of Business Miracles at https://www.businessmiracles.com/206

Next Episode

208 Enhancing HSP Business Leadership Through Neurodiversity

Highly sensitives are a unique subset of the neurodiverse population. Sadly, terms like “highly sensitive” and “neurodivergent” tend to carry a negative undertone and are framed as a deficit. Though it would be a lie to not acknowledge the challenges, it would be equally a lie to not acknowledge the upsides as well. Too often HSPs fall into the trap of thinking that because they are highly sensitive, they “can’t” do certain things. This is entirely false and only serves to hold you back from what you are truly capable of in your life and business leadership. This way of thinking keeps you from fulfilling your purpose in the world and from creating an impact in the lives you are meant to serve. You are absolutely capable, it’s just going to look different than it does for others around you.

In this week’s episode I dive deeper into understanding and enhancing HSP business leadership through learning to work with our unique form of neurodiversity. Last week, I re-returned to what it means to be a highly sensitive person and the research around it as well as the research around neurodiversity and executive functioning. With that foundation in mind, I open the door to seeing how we can work with all of this for enhancement, not deficit, enhancement in business and leadership. This key distinction makes all the difference in how you approach everything you do in your business, with your clients, team, and life in general. Strengthening our executive functioning skills by learning to do things differently is the gateway to creating personal success and impact in the world at large.

“Differences are not a deficit and executive functioning skills can be developed based on your neurodiversity.” – Heather Dominick

Listen and Learn:

2:36: What does it mean to be a highly sensitive person
4:24: Who is neurodivergent
5:17: What is the relationship between highly sensitive people and neurodiversity
6:04: How to define executive functioning
9:36: Ways to master executive functioning as a highly sensitive person
13:52: How neurodivergent people can work with over or under-stimulation

“Stop taking courses and trainings that are not designed for your way of processing. Stop feeding your shadows, coping mechanisms, shame and resistances.” – Heather Dominick