Stop The Explosion: Handling The Meltdown Of A Child With Aspergers
Everybody knows that children with aspergers syndrome normally have meltdowns. It is normally triggered by things which might bewilder the normal mind but makes perfect sense to the child. Meltdowns are not planned, but when they happen everyone that is involved with calming down the child feels the pain of the meltdown in their own way. When a meltdown starts the first thing you need to do is make sure that everybody around the kid and even the kid remains safe till the end.
Professionals who have studied the meltdowns of kids have defined four distinct stages that happen that are usually followed by a recovery period. Stage one is the ‘starting out’ stage, where you as a parent would start to hear whispers of a meltdown coming on.
Stage two is the ‘picking up steam’ stage, where it starts to become evident which a meltdown is about to occur. Stage 3 is the ‘point of no return’ stage, where the kid’s flight reaction kicks in. Its usually here which reasoning becomes impossible with the kid and you have to let nature takes it’s course. Stage four is the ‘explosion’ stage and the kid is in full meltdown. To help stop meltdowns in children with Asperger’s before it happens, you could put your child on a sensory diet.
This diet will aid prevent the very first stage of a child’s meltdown from even starting, thus preventing the meltdown. You can start out by employing a sensory integration session with your child every day, getting ideas on how to regulate your child’s sensory input from his or her doctor, school counselor, or special education teacher. When used proactively this is a good, solid start in preventing a meltdown.
The next thing you need to work with your child on is visual supports. By giving them images to help them understand cause and effect, you can aid make sensory transitions smoother and keep triggers at bay. Visual supports used on a habitual schedule with sensory integration will help your kid remain in control. They have to be used before the triggers are released in your kid and the meltdown starts.
Lastly, you need to help your kid learn how to manage their emotions. Since we don’t understand what triggers a meltdown, you have to sit and talk with your child about how they feel when the meltdown starts and what they were thinking about. It takes time to assist a kid learn to deal with emotions that are too big for them, but it can be done.
Children and their families do not have to meltdown any longer. With proactive work on sensory integration, visual supports and emotion management, your child could stop numerous meltdowns.
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