Lately there have been some people who want to redefine misophonia as a type of sensory processing disorder (SPD). There may be some important benefits if you don’t mix misophonia and SPD, and try not to think of misophonia as a form of SPD.
This can be unclear to those dealing with both SPD and misophonia. The disorders are not mutually exclusive. People with good intentions who are struggling with both disorders at the same time are trying to advocate that they be treated together, but in reality they are actually quite different.
Research on SPD have been going on for at least two decades. There has been more awareness because children with autism often have sensory issues. SPD is made of three categories; sensory modulation disorder, sensory-based motor disorders and sensory discrimination disorders. Since sensory-based motor disorders and sensory-discrimination disorders do not have symptom that are like misophonia, the focus will be on sensory-modulation disorder.
A large difference between misophonia and SPD is regarding the the age of onset. SPD typically occurs in early ages. You can see it when infants get upset over noisy toys or the sound of a vacuum. Approximately half of those with misophonia had it begin by the time they were 10 years old. However, for some, misophonia can begin in adulthood or even as advanced as 50 years and older.
In terms of misophonia and SPD, you are relating to a a person who has an intense emotional reaction to auditory, visual, or tactile stimuli. The big difference comes into play when you look at the causes of SPD and a misophonic reaction. They are quite different.
To learn more about the difference between sensory processing disorder and misophonia, read the original article here:
Let’s Not Confuse Misophonia and Sensory Processing Disorder
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