![]() ![]() I tend to exhibit self-injurious behavior such as scratching my skin and other things. Individuals may also “lose their words” or become nonspeaking during this time, which is important to note.įor myself personally, I am much more inward with my meltdowns. The individual needs you to be calm, not angry. I’ve had my share of ducking to avoid objects being thrown, but always remember that it’s not necessarily personal. Some autistic people have more outward meltdowns, which may look like throwing things, hitting, biting, etc. Meltdowns can be presented in different ways. Remember that meltdowns are different for each person. It’s an in-built autistic response to distress and trauma. It’s important to remember meltdowns happen at all ages. There may be different situations from homework or playgrounds, such as relationship problems or stress. The same applies for teens and adults who are autistic as well. Were you in a crowded supermarket and the intercom came on? Did your child get a bad grade on an assignment? Were they bullied on the playground that day? A lot of different factors come into play with a meltdown. They will struggle to process more of the information, and communication is difficult to do.Īnother way to tell is to analyze the situations that led up to the event. You can try to bribe or reason with them, whereas someone facing a meltdown has way too much input going in already. When a child has a tantrum, ignoring them or giving in are ways that people assume they should deal with it. Meltdowns also can occur with or without an audience, because it’s not seeking a goal- it’s a sign of distress. You’ll often find that it’s not the chocolate bar that caused the meltdown, but that the candy was simply the final straw. ![]() And if they do, that may be a sign that something else is going on. A meltdown does not usually occur just because the kid wants the chocolate bar in the checkout lane – unless they expected to get it prior or it was promised. In most cases, meltdowns are not goal driven. Does it happen regardless of an audience?.Instead of “attention seeking,” think of it as connection seeking.īut for distinction, keep four questions in mind: Tantrums are part of development and should be looked at from a compassionate lens. Neurotypical or autistic, children are going to throw tantrums sometimes. Others have also compared it to a more intense and painful panic attack.Ī question I have often been asked by parents and caregivers is “how do I tell the difference between a meltdown and a tantrum?”įor someone raising a toddler, that’s a fairly valid question. Of course, I am a human being and not a computer – but I think it gets the point across. The best way I can personally describe a meltdown is like a Blue Screen of Death crash on a computer. I love being autistic (something a lot of people don’t hear often!), but meltdowns are honestly the worst. ![]() Meltdowns are easily one of the most difficult parts of being autistic. I want to make sure the information is as accessible as possible. ![]() Since I know a lot of people are unable to afford attending the conferences, I figured it would be helpful to post the information on here. Considering how many meltdowns I had preparing for this session, the irony has not been lost on me. My topic that I presented on was the management and prevention of meltdowns, as well as how to better support healthy emotional regulation. I felt a bit out of place (most of the people there were neurotypical), but that’s okay. This past Saturday, I was given the opportunity to speak at the Autism Society of East Tennessee’s Autism Educational Conference. ![]()
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