Identifying your child’s signals will allow you to intervene early and before the situation escalates into a meltdown.
Running away or wandering off, also known as eloping. Self-injurious behaviors like hitting, biting, or headbanging. Self-stimulatory behaviors may increase like rocking and hand-flapping. Withdrawing, suddenly becoming quiet, zoning out, muttering quietly under their breath. Increased breathing, red face, loud and rapid speech or sounds (if person does not communicate verbally). Screaming, cursing, verbal threats (“I'm going to punch you”, “I'm going to break this”), threatening gestures. Stomping feet, pacing, falling to the ground, clenched fists, clenched jaw. taking 10 deep breaths).Ī “ signal ” is a behavior the person engages in before more serious behaviors start. cutting tags off of t-shirts) or teaching your child coping skills so they can calmly respond rather than melting down (e.g. Your own body language can sometimes be a trigger, like standing with your arms crossed or snapping your fingersīy identifying environmental triggers, you can prevent a meltdown by removing the trigger (e.g. Loud, irritating noises (sirens, fire alarms, music), unpleasant smells, cold/hot temperatures, bright lights. Unexpected change to routine or schedule. Usually it happens just before but sometimes there is a delay. Ī “ trigger ” is an event in the person’s environment that happens before the meltdown occurs. What are all the signs that it’s a meltdown?Īn important exercise is to identify your child’s triggers and signals. Because there is no "end goal" and meltdowns cannot be controlled, a meltdown can last for a few minutes to a few hours and may require more than one person or strategy to help. The rumbling stage is behavior changes you can see, like pacing, increased heart rate, cursing, or an increase in stimming (like hand flapping and rocking). Unlike tantrums, meltdowns often have a brewing period called "the rumbling stage". Tantrums generally begin suddenly and end once the child gets what they want, or tire themselves out. Tantrums are quick, while meltdowns are more complex. This "overstimulation" can be caused by lights, sounds, people, or other factors like pain, communication barriers, or unexpected changes to routines. Meltdowns are uncontrollable emotional and behavioral responses to stimuli in the person's environment. 
Usually, tantrums are goal-oriented, like when a child wants something or is trying to avoid something. Tantrums happen when a child wants something and meltdowns happen when they feel overwhelmed.Tantrums become less frequent as children learn communication and self-regulation skills, while autistic meltdowns may occur across the lifespan Autistic meltdowns, unlike tantrums, are not related to age.There are three key differences between tantrums and meltdowns:
What’s the difference between tantrums and meltdowns? Autistic children can experience an intense explosion of emotions that might be accompanied by screaming or harmful behaviors – this is known as a meltdown.ĭifferentiating between tantrums and meltdowns can be difficult, but understanding them can help you prevent and manage them better. But for many parents, it's not an “ordinary” temper tantrum. Many people are familiar with the scene of an exhausted parent trying to mediate their toddler's tantrum in the middle of the grocery store.
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