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Tom breaks down what misophonia really is, how it differs from simple sound sensitivity, and why it’s so crucial for families to recognize the signs early. They discuss current research, the lack of mainstream resources, and practical, real-world strategies families can use to support children struggling with these intense sound triggers. Tom also highlights the importance of creating supportive environments at home and the need for professional guidance when self-help strategies aren’t enough.
In this episode you'll hear about:
- Tom’s background as a behaviorist and parenting coach
- How Tom was introduced to misophonia through a personal family story
- Understanding Misophonia
- Definition of misophonia as a reflex condition, not a hearing defect
- Types of triggers: auditory, visual, and olfactory
- Typical misophonia sounds (chewing, talking, birds, lawnmowers, repeating sounds)
- The inappropriately strong emotional reaction to common sounds
- Reflex pathways and the concept of the “lizard brain”/brain stem
- The process by which misophonia develops (pattern recognition, Pavlovian conditioning)
- Relationship between physical reflex and emotional response
- The lack of misophonia coverage in medical and psychology textbooks
- Practical Strategies and Supports for Misophonia
- Importance of adding background noise (fans, noise machines) at home
- Behavioral experiments and increasing body awareness in children
- Case of a young girl displaying unconscious physical reactions to triggers
- The analogy to fingernails on a chalkboard as a common non-misophonia sound aversion
- How physical reflexes can be more important than initially perceived emotional responses
- Techniques to increase body and emotional awareness as a means of reducing triggers
- The role of family dynamics and inherited patterns in misophonia
- Misophonia’s prevalence in the general population (estimated 5-15%)
- Differentiating between normal sensitivity and a clinical level of misophonia
- Impact on daily life and family relationships
- Examples where sound sensitivity expands to more triggers or worsens over time
- When and How to Seek Help
- Indicators that professional support is needed
- How to test simple relaxation strategies and track changes over time
- Guidance on working with children and adapting interventions to their developmental level
- Encouraging early intervention to prevent escalation
- The importance of family support and teamwork
- The Role of Environment and Life Stages
- How environment (school vs. home) changes trigger severity and coping responses
- Influence of life stress and transitions on misophonia intensity
- Occupational Therapy (OT) and Misophonia
- OT perspective: modifying environment, activities, and body awareness
- Discussion on not altering foods, but instead targeting tolerance to normal sounds
- Gradual reintroduction to triggering environments as part of therapy
- Different therapeutic philosophies and methods (core response vs. tolerance training)
- Audiologist role in providing ear-level sound generators and alleviating triggers
Links and Resources From Today's Show
Connect with our Guest, Tom Dozier
Tom Dozier, MS, BCBA, is a behaviorist who has researched and provided treatment for misophonia as a reflex behavior condition since 2012 and is a pioneer in misophonia research. He is author of Understanding and Overcoming Misophonia, A Conditioned Aversive Reflex Disorder and 10 journal articles. His research indicates misophonia includes both physical and emotional reflexes and explains how misophonia develops and often progresses with time. With this understanding of misophonia, Tom developed Relaxation and Counterconditioning Therapy as a behavioral treatment for misophonia. He has provided this treatment to hundreds of individuals in-person and by telehealth. Tom founded the non-profit Misophonia Institute in 2016 to promote misophonia awareness, research, and professional training, and he serves as president.
