Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are Meltdowns?Early Warning Signs of a MeltdownTips for Staying CalmHow to Calm a ChildWhat to Do After a MeltdownCoping StrategiesFAQ
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are Meltdowns?
Early Warning Signs of a Meltdown
Tips for Staying Calm
How to Calm a Child
What to Do After a Meltdown
Coping Strategies
FAQ
Autistic children often face behavior challenges. Even autistic children with lower support needs can have an “autistic meltdown” in situations that would be only mildly challenging to aneurotypicalpeer.
A meltdown is an intense response to an overwhelming situation that leads someone to lose control of their behavior.An autistic meltdown is bigger, more emotional, longer-lasting, and more difficult to manage than a typical temper tantrum.
Children with intense autism traits can get upset on a daily basis. Meltdowns can make it hard to participate in everyday activities or, in extreme cases, even leave the house. It’s not always easy to calm an autistic child, but there are techniques that can help.
This article explores some of the tools and techniques used to manage or prevent meltdowns in autistic children. It also looks at the causes and signs of a meltdown to help you recognize and deal with them more effectively and with less anxiety.
What Is a Meltdown?
An autistic meltdown is an intense response to physical or emotional stress without any particular agenda. An autistic person may simply beexpressing feelingsof excitement, frustration, or anxiety. They might also be responding tosensory assaults(meaning the overload of sensations).
Things that can trigger a meltdown include:
There are underlying factors that contribute to meltdowns and similar emotional responses. The behaviors are based on limitations seen in most autistic children, including:
The reality is that autistic children generally have less control over their emotions than other children. As a result, emotional outbursts are more common.
Autistic children are prone to outbursts and emotional responses because they generally have difficulty understanding social norms, non-verbal communication, and the reaction of others to their behavior.
It is not always easy for a parent or guardian of an autistic child to predict or even recognize situations that may cause a meltdown.
Early warning signs are often related to meltdown triggers, such as:
With that said, a child may react differently to the same situation from one day to the next. A trigger that sets off a meltdown on Tuesday may be entirely ignored on Thursday.
Similarly, a child may respond differently to the same stimuli in different environments. For example, a crowded mall may be too much for a child, but a crowded movie theater may not be (particularly if it is playing a movie they are looking forward to).
A meltdown in an autistic child is usually not a “tantrum” but rather a reaction to physical or emotional stress. Triggers include loud noises, strong smells, changes in environment or routine, and other stimuli that cause a sensory overload.
Understanding and Managing Your Autistic Child’s Behavior
What to Do Before a Meltdown
Avoiding, managing, or planning for meltdowns can only go so far. A better solution is tohelp the child learn how to calm their own emotions.
There are some techniques that, while not fail-proof, can make a big difference. Many are related to sensory integration therapy, a form ofplay therapythat aims to “train” the brain how to react to touch, sound, sight, and movement.
There are several things you can do to prepare for a child’s meltdown:
Helping Autistic Children Handle Their Emotions
What to Do During a Meltdown
Even the most vigilant parent or guardian will be faced with the occasional meltdown from their autistic child. When that happens, the following tips may help:
Here is whatnotto do during a meltdown:
As a parent, the best thing you can do during a meltdown is to keep calm. Do not punish or threaten the child, or throw up your hands and leave. Doing so may escalate the situation.
Weighted Blankets and Deep Touch Therapy for Autism
Immediately after a meltdown, your child may feel exhausted. Things you can do to help a child recover from a meltdown include:
In moments of stress, it can be hard to remember that autistic children are different from their typical peers. It is unlikely they are “acting out” or intentionally being “naughty” to upset you.
If you’re struggling to manage your child’s behavior, a good first step is talking with your child’s healthcare provider. They can suggest therapy and support that can help your child build skills to manage emotions and help support you and your child’s emotional development.
Summary
Meltdowns are common in many autistic children. They are usually not “tantrums” but a response to stressful situations that overwhelm them. Meltdowns often occur due to sensory overload or triggers like loud sounds, strong smells, or changes in routine or environment.
Preparation is key if an autistic child is prone to meltdown. Find sensory tools that can comfort a child at times of stress. These may include squeezy toys, weighted blankets, a calming video or book, a swing set, or even a pet. If a meltdown occurs, allow your child the time and space to calm themselves down and learn to self-regulate.
Don’t try to shame, blame, or threaten a child during a meltdown. The outburst may be beyond the emotional comprehension of the child and only serve to make the situation worse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes, but not all the time. It helps to recognize and anticipate your child’s triggers. If your child shows early warning signs of a meltdown, remove the trigger or remove them from the environment. For example, if the grocery store is triggering, avoid going at busy times and bring a comforting item, like a blanket or stuffed animal. A cloth or face mask with a few drops of lavender essential oil or another pleasant scent can help prevent meltdowns from strong smells.
The most important thing you can do when your autistic child is having a meltdown is to stay calm. Try to assess the situation to determine if there is a specific trigger to the meltdown. Is it too hot or cold, too bright, or too loud? Are there strong smells? If you are in public, try to remove the child to a calmer location such as the car. Provide them with a calming item, like a favorite blanket or stuffed animal.Some autistic people need space to calm down, while others may prefer to be hugged tightly or have their back or arms rubbed.Once you figure out your child’s triggers and the techniques that help calm your child, it will become easier to prevent meltdowns and help your child to recover faster from them.
The most important thing you can do when your autistic child is having a meltdown is to stay calm. Try to assess the situation to determine if there is a specific trigger to the meltdown. Is it too hot or cold, too bright, or too loud? Are there strong smells? If you are in public, try to remove the child to a calmer location such as the car. Provide them with a calming item, like a favorite blanket or stuffed animal.
Some autistic people need space to calm down, while others may prefer to be hugged tightly or have their back or arms rubbed.
Once you figure out your child’s triggers and the techniques that help calm your child, it will become easier to prevent meltdowns and help your child to recover faster from them.
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Autistic Society.Meltdowns.Mazefsky CA, Herrington J, Siegel M, et al.The role of emotion regulation in autism spectrum disorder.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2013;52(7):679-88. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.006Pfeiffer BA, Koenig K, Kinnealey M, Sheppard M, Henderson L.Effectiveness of sensory integration interventions in children with autism spectrum disorders: a pilot study.Am J Occup Ther. 2011;65(1):76-85. doi:10.5014/ajot.2011.09205
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Autistic Society.Meltdowns.Mazefsky CA, Herrington J, Siegel M, et al.The role of emotion regulation in autism spectrum disorder.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2013;52(7):679-88. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.006Pfeiffer BA, Koenig K, Kinnealey M, Sheppard M, Henderson L.Effectiveness of sensory integration interventions in children with autism spectrum disorders: a pilot study.Am J Occup Ther. 2011;65(1):76-85. doi:10.5014/ajot.2011.09205
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Autistic Society.Meltdowns.Mazefsky CA, Herrington J, Siegel M, et al.The role of emotion regulation in autism spectrum disorder.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2013;52(7):679-88. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.006Pfeiffer BA, Koenig K, Kinnealey M, Sheppard M, Henderson L.Effectiveness of sensory integration interventions in children with autism spectrum disorders: a pilot study.Am J Occup Ther. 2011;65(1):76-85. doi:10.5014/ajot.2011.09205
National Autistic Society.Meltdowns.
Mazefsky CA, Herrington J, Siegel M, et al.The role of emotion regulation in autism spectrum disorder.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2013;52(7):679-88. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.006
Pfeiffer BA, Koenig K, Kinnealey M, Sheppard M, Henderson L.Effectiveness of sensory integration interventions in children with autism spectrum disorders: a pilot study.Am J Occup Ther. 2011;65(1):76-85. doi:10.5014/ajot.2011.09205
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