Meltdowns

If you have a child on the autism spectrum, you have probably experienced your child's meltdowns. It's frustrating, embarrassing and sometimes even dangerous.

This is written by the father of two kids with autism. Wayne is also a retired Navy guy who now teaches special need kids at an elementary school. In addition, Wayne has his own personal experience as a person with Asperger's, so he has an unique perspective.

The majority of people think [punishment works to end or prevent meltdowns.] The problem is their punitive approach is ineffective and more alarming, it literally distroys kids.

There are lots of research-based documents on the internet that state children with autism should not be punished during a meltdown or after. One of my favorite analogies is: to punish a child with autism for a meltdown is like being punished for cussing when you hit your thumb with a hammer.

What you should do is treat the meltdown as you would a medical emergency and everything you do should be geared at deescalating the situation even though the child is behaving in a way that would not be tolerated by other students. 

You minimize the number of meltdowns by finding the antecedent of the meltdowns. If you find out what triggered an event, you eliminate the trigger, the meltdown goes way. 

Another thing to look for as far as triggers are noises, lighting, and countless other environmental factors. Changes in routine, people in their space, smells and anything else. Environmental issues are the easiest things to change, for example dim the lights.

I like to say people do things for a reason, take away their reason and real change will occur. It is so simple that no one believes it works. 

...Work on behaviors with consequences when the child is able to tolerate the teaching or discipline without meltdowns.

...Students [with autism] are different, therefore, they have different needs, so logic would tell you they need to be taught and treated differently is some ways but always focusing on eliminating or reducing barriers that might be restricting the student from being able to complete tasks with their peers.

I hope some of these ideas might help a child who could use a hand. It's truly not his fault, he's not broken, he sees the world in a way we don't and society teaches us that is bad. Society must change and it is changing at a good pace but have far to go. Both of my children were diagnosed in 1996, and times have changed. It's a tough battle to win when you ask a principal to quit yelling at a boy with autism [wearing headphones] during a meltdown. He is the same guy who thinks cops in the school and arming teachers would fix everything.