Meltdowns

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Meltdown

I can tell you; you have received remarks such as “you can’t control your baby; they are too naughty or your baby is too spoiled”. You probably also have had incidents where your child had intense aggressive behavior such as kicking, biting, banging head on objects or screaming. That’s what we call a meltdown, meltdowns are unconditional emotional outbursts. They can be caused by multiple things such as change of routine, anxiety, unusual fears, sensory overload etc. unfortunately meltdowns appear with no warning sign at all.

Some people mistake tantrums for meltdown. Tantrums usually occur when a child is trying to get something (eating dessert before finishing their food) or escape from something (avoid to eat all their vegetables) and they are usually much shorter than meltdowns.




There are many things that can trigger meltdowns and it’s good to know how to prevent or handle a meltdown when it occurs. It may not be the easiest thing to conquer but you can avoid a lot if 
you know, what might be causing them.

When your child is having a meltdown, you have to keep note of what caused the meltdown, how they reacted to the meltdown and what calms them down during the behavior. Keeping notes of your child’s meltdown helps to keep track of what triggers the meltdowns and in future you know how to prevent them.

 



Managing meltdowns

Having a visual schedule and keeping to routine helps to avoid meltdown from occurring. Children with autism likes safety and like to  anticipate events so that they can be emotionally ready.

When your child is having a meltdown , you need to:

  • Drop the unwanted input
  • Try to comfort them
  • Keep them calm
  • Try to relax your child using weight vest etc.
  • Eliminate punishment
  • Give them their sensory tools
  • Try a quick distraction (play their favorite video)

Meltdowns can’t be completely prevented but they can be managed, they will still occur but knowing what to do when they do occur will make the process bearable and most likely shorter than they normally would last.

                                                                 

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