Back to Blog
Autism meltdown7/3/2023 It will most likely act as further unwanted information and exacerbate the situation. Keeping yourself calm, using the right amount of eye contact for your child and not too many words is the best thing you can do.ĭon’t be tempted to use this moment to try out a new coping technique at this point. Obviously shouting is a no-no but other natural responses such as touching or hugging can be just as detrimental. If sensory overload is a trigger, try not to add to this. This will reduce the stimulation your child is experiencing while giving you some relief from the worries of what others might be thinking - or even how they might accidentally escalate things by trying to help. However there are a few ideas you might like to consider, the first being to find a quiet space where there are less people. Ignore any disapproving glances you might detect and focus instead on the person who most needs your attention.īecause every child is different, there isn’t a one size fits all approach to handling meltdowns. Your responsibility is to your child - not to anyone else. If other people don’t understand, that’s their issue. This is not your fault and it’s not your child’s fault. If your child does have a meltdown in public, the first thing to do is to remind yourself that you don’t need to be embarrassed. You might simply avoid bringing your child into some public settings because you know it’s likely to be too much for them at this point in time. If new places are a problem, talking to your child about where you’re going together and what that experience might be like could help them feel more prepared. If your child can’t handle loud noises, ear defenders could make a trip to the shops more bearable. Once you’ve identified key triggers, you can start to mitigate against them. It could be anything from sensory overload to anxiety, tiredness, unfamiliarity with the environment or struggling to label and convey their emotions. What environment are you in and what might have happened to trigger this episode? How frequent are the meltdowns and how long do they last? How serious do they feel? What helps bring them to an end? Keeping a diary to help you spot trends and develop effective methods to help them resolve their feelings can be really valuable.īeing able to define and describe your child’s meltdowns will not only help you feel more in control, it could also help you get the support you need from other people, whether that be teachers, family or experts like the clinicians here at Clinical Partners.Īs you get to understand how and why your child becomes overwhelmed, then the better you’ll start to know what triggers them. What behaviours are they displaying? What signs did you have that this was coming? Next time your child goes into meltdown mode, take a moment to observe them. The more you understand about the antecedents and causes of your autistic child becoming overwhelmed, the better prepared you will be to both prevent and deal with situations when they do happen. So what can you do to make sure you’re prepared for those occasions so you can handle them in a way that is best for your child and for you? Unfortunately the rest of the world doesn’t always understand this difference, which is why it can be particularly tricky as a parent when your autistic child has a meltdown in public. Instead it’s a reaction to being overwhelmed - a reaction they have little control over and causes them an awful lot of distress. While a meltdown might look a bit like a tantrum, it’s not about your child trying to get what they want. All children become frustrated and have temper tantrums, but as a parent of an autistic child, you’ll know that meltdowns are something quite different.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |