My Child has Misophonia...Supporting a Child Who Has Misophonia

Misophonia is a condition where certain sounds trigger strong emotional and physical reactions, like anger, anxiety, or distress. If your child struggles with misophonia, it can be frustrating and overwhelming for them—and for the whole family. But there are ways to support them at home.

Validation

The most important thing you can do is let your child know that you believe them. If you’re reading this, you already care and want to help—your child needs to hear that.

Saying things like, “I know that sound is really hard for you,” or “I see you’re having a tough time with this, and I’m here to help” can make a big difference.

You can also help by learning more about misophonia together. Finding books, articles, or even videos about the condition can help them feel understood and less alone.

Create a Family Plan

A family plan doesn’t mean strict rules or punishments—it means finding strategies that work for everyone. Since misophonia affects each person differently, your plan should be customized to fit your child’s needs.

Here are some ideas that might help:

• Flexible mealtime arrangements: Allowing your child to eat in a different room or wear noise-canceling headphones at the table.

• Safe spaces: Having a quiet place they can go when they feel overwhelmed.

• Household agreements: Encouraging family members to be mindful of certain sounds when possible, like chewing with their mouth closed or using soft utensils.

This plan should be a family effort—talk about what’s realistic and make adjustments as needed. You want to strike a balance of supporting your child, while also not letting the misophonia control all aspects of the family.

Listen to Other Siblings

If your child with misophonia has siblings, they may feel frustrated, confused, or even resentful about the accommodations being made. It’s important to acknowledge their feelings and help them understand that their sibling isn’t being difficult on purpose.

Encourage open conversations, and if needed, give siblings their own space to express frustrations. Try to find compromises so that no one feels left out or ignored.

Talk About Coping Skills

Since it’s not always possible to avoid trigger sounds, teaching your child coping strategies can help them manage their reactions. Some helpful techniques include:

• Noise-canceling headphones or earplugs to block out triggering sounds.

• Mindfulness and breathing exercises to reduce stress in the moments.

• Distraction techniques, like focusing on a different sound (white noise, music) or engaging in an absorbing activity.

• Using a fidget toy or movement to redirect their energy when feeling overwhelmed.

• Adjusting thinking to move from a state of powerlessness to flexibility in thoughts and behaviors.

Encourage your child to explore what works best for them and practice these strategies when they’re calm so they can use them effectively when needed.

Seek Professional Support if Needed

If misophonia is significantly affecting your child’s daily life, you make seek out specialists who understand misophonia. There are lots of different approaches for supporting someone with misophonia. A CBT based therapy for example may focus on adjusting thinking, improving coping skills, and improving flexibility so an individual feels less hopeless. Exposure is a sticky word when it comes to misophonia because exposure is used to treat things that we have a fear response to which is different than misophonia. That doesn't mean you can't learn how to respond differently.

Misophonia often occurs alongside conditions like anxiety, depression, and OCD. Addressing these related challenges can have a positive impact on misophonia. Since higher stress levels tend to worsen symptoms, effectively managing mental health can help reduce the intensity of misophonia reactions.

Final Thoughts

Supporting a child with misophonia takes patience and understanding, but with the right strategies, progress is possible. The goal isn’t to eliminate triggers or reactions, but to create a more manageable and hopeful experience. By validating their feelings, developing a family plan, and promoting coping techniques, you’re equipping them with the tools to navigate this challenge with confidence and support.