AN EMPOWERING SUBJECT FIU Occupational Therapy professor helps children with autism through research and action
C
hewing. Slurping. Loud breathing. Dripping
intense emotional response, including anger.
water. Gum smacking.
Hyperacusis is a condition in which qualities of sound (e.g., pitch, loudness) can cause distress
Many, if not most, people find these sounds to
and a physically painful response in the ears.
be irritating. But for people with misophonia
In both cases, the louder the sound, the more
or hyperacusis, they are far more disturbing,
intense the response will be. “When someone is
causing emotional or even physical distress.
‘sensitive’ to sounds, it’s not that they can hear
Tana Carson, Ph.D., OTR/L, Assistant Professor
sounds more acutely than others, but they are
with FIU Occupational Therapy, is researching
more reactive to certain sounds,” said Dr. Carson.
these auditory disorders in the hopes of giving younger patients some relief. Dr. Tana Carson
Specializing in sensory processing and neurodevelopmental disorders, Dr. Carson has
Dr. Carson was exposed to the phenomenon
observed that misophonia is generally treated
of misophonia through a cousin who has
with a cognitive behavioral therapy approach
autism spectrum disorder. Misophonia is a
focused on self and emotional regulation.
condition in which certain sounds can cause an
Meanwhile, hyperacusis is treated through
20 FIU Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences
