Written by Junie’s Mother

My daughter, Junie, has multiple medical diagnoses that impact her ability to manage all the sensory input that surrounds her daily. One of her diagnoses is misophonia, a soft-sound sensitivity disorder that amplifies seemingly innocent sounds to an extent that they cause an extreme fight or flight response. Noises such as dishes rattling, coughing, throat clearing, sniffling, and even breathing were unbearable and life-altering.

There are many strategies for managing misophonia, but the use of sound generators is one of the most effective. Sound generators are like hearing aids, but rather than amplifying sound, they generate continuous white noise which helps retrain the brain to tolerate soft sounds while still allowing the user to process other auditory stimuli in the environment.

Since receiving her sound generators, Junie has made huge gains in her ability to adapt to the world around her. She has extreme sensitivity to her ears being touched but now allows me to place the sound generators in her ears because she knows that they make a difference. She can participate in family events and outings that she previously avoided. She is learning to ask for her sound generators as a strategy when she is feeling overwhelmed by sounds that most people don’t even notice.

Junie no longer wears noise-cancelling headphones all day and all night. She has made so much progress in her daily living and socialization skills because misophonia no longer rules her life. Sound generators are not covered by insurance and were not something we could afford on our own.

The application and approval process through AATLF was so fast and easy. Our family is so grateful for the progress Junie continues to make, and we are so excited for her future!