How to Cope with Misophonia at School

Coping with misophonia at school is a conversation that comes up often for me with clients. There are numerous triggers present in a classroom at any given time. These can include pen clicking, leg jiggling/bouncing/shaking, chewing, tapping noises, clock ticking, and more. This is further exasperated by the lack of choice many students have in their environment. Classrooms and classmates are picked without their direct input in most grade-school scenarios and there are limited opportunities to take breaks from these triggers—unless, of course, the child has an accessibility plan, but even then, this is not 100% effective. The International Misophonia Foundation provides resources to parents including back-to-school coping skills.

The following tips can be helpful for students in kindergarten to high school. Your child’s therapist, mental health worker, or pediatrician can assist by helping to write letters supporting any accommodations for misophonia. A study by Porcaro et al (2019) found that accommodations for misophonia are helpful in an academic environment.

The choice of where one’s desk is placed can be helpful for misophonia since there are often spots in the classroom where it can be easier to hide visual and auditory triggers. For example, some might feel more comfortable in a back corner, while others might prefer to be by the door, or in front of the class in the corner. There is no perfect spot, so which place should be the accommodation for the child should be determined in their particular circumstances. The child’s choice is the most important part of this accommodation.

The ability to leave the classroom when possible is a helpful accommodation because calming down the nervous system requires leaving the environment, as noted by Jennifer Brout, PsyD in her parent's guide. While this can be hard to arrange, it is an important way to help a child cope. Having their desk moved to the hallway or having another room to go to work in while it is not instruction time can make a difference on the level of exposure during the day.

No food allowed in the classroom can be a helpful accommodation for those with misophonia. Unfortunately, some classrooms allow food due to other children’s conditions such as ADHD, hypoglycemia, diabetes, and other situations where food is necessary. Schools can balance this by having a designated area for food when necessary, such as the child who is eating (or the one with misophonia) leaving during these times.

Downtime once at home is an important part of reducing overall stress. The can include time alone in their room, or a sensory space such as a sensory tent with sensory devices that can help calm the child. Homework, activities, and supper time should be delayed until the child has had time to calm down after a long day of sensory-stimuli.

Fidgeting devices can be helpful for staying calm while exposed to triggers. While this does not eliminate the trigger, the proprioceptive input of squeezing a squish ball or hand gripper is helpful for reducing stress in the moment.

For college and university students, there is often more variety in timing, living situations, and the ability to choose one’s schedule. There are also far more options for online schooling once the child becomes a young adult. I personally finished school at an online university and can attest that the quality of education has increased immensely in the past two decades. I encourage parents of teenagers and those looking for secondary education to search for these institutions. Several include Capella, Athabasca, and Yorkville.