The Autism Spectrum Peer Mentor blog: Post 8: Meltdowns

Welcome to the blog post for week 8.

This week the blog will focus on meldowns - what they are and how we can support someone who is having a meltdown.

Many people on the autism spectrum have meltdowns and this can happen whatever age they are. To those who know little about autism, a meltdown can look like a tantrum. This can be particularly difficult for parents of children whose apparent behaviour doesn't seem appropriate for their age. As autism is an invisible disability it can appear that the child is naughty, or the parents are unable to discipline their child. Here's a short video by the National Autistic Society showing a young boy in a shopping centre in the build-up to a meldown.

According to the National Autistic Society a melt-down is:

"... an intense response to overwhelming situations"

Once a meltdown has started the individual is unable to control their behaviour. They may shout, throw themselves on the ground, kick, hit, bite or throw things. They may self-harm. It can be extremely distressing for the individual as well as those who are with them.

A meltdown is caused by high levels of stress which may be caused by sensory overload (we looked at this back in week 2), difficulties with social interaction, unexpected changes to the routine, too many demands being put on them - or a combination of these. Sometimes these stressors have built up over a period of time (hours, days or even weeks). It's important to remember that people on the autism spectrum tend to have higher levels of stress and anxiety than a 'neurotypical' person, and so have less room to cope with any additional stress. Once they reach the point of a meltdown it is very difficult to get away from that point for some time.

Some individuals will have learnt coping stategies to try and avoid meltdowns, for example, removing themselves from a situation that they find challenging, or avoiding certain scenarios altogether.

Have a look at this video in the National Autistic Society series 'Too much information' which shows a group of young people on the autism spectrum discussing their experiences of meltdowns and the reaction of people around them.

What to do if someone is having a meltdown:

Autism West Midlands gives some tips on supporting someone who is having a meltdown (see the full guide here):

Get to know the person you are supporting, as each person will need to be supported in their own way.
If they are not at risk of harming themselves or other, can you leave them alone to come out of the meltdown in their own time?
Keep calm.
Do not ask them too many questions.
Rather than telling them to calm down give them some guidance on how to calm down.
Consider whether to use their special interests to help them relax.

In addition you may want to try to create a quiet, safe space for them. Try to reduce any information overload by turning down any brights lights and sounds such as music or the TV and asking people to move along.

John Scott Holman, an autistic author, wrote about what people shouldn't do when he is having a meltdown (see the full article here):

Do not become angry or raise your voice at me
Do not attempt to restrain me.
Do not ask me what is wrong.
Do not taunt me, use sarcasm or attempt to make me feel guilty.
Do not ask me if I am on drink or drugs.
Most importantly, do not tell me to 'snap out of it'.

Useful resources

The University library has a book which I enjoyed reading - Donovan J, and Zucker, C. (2016) In a different key : The story of autism. New York: Crown Publishers. There's a Guardian review of the book here.

I've also been recommended a book called 'A boy made of blocks' by Keith Stewart. While this is a novel the author himself has an autistic son and draws on personal experience.

Finally for this week, there's a film/ documentary that I've been told about called 'Life, animated'. This is the true story of a boy diagnosed with autism aged 3, and how through Disney films he was able to communicate with his parents. The trailer is below: