Top 3 Strategies for “MELTDOWNS”
So this is a topic that we get asked the most! What can parents do to reduce meltdowns at home? There are so many strategies that we could recommend depending on individual circumstances, however there are 3 that seem to work the best for most families. Therefore, in this article, we will be discussing these strategies, along with how you as a parent can implement these in your day-to-day life.
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Social Stories
Social Stories have been a complete game changer for most parents with autistic children. The premise of a social story is to take a social situation and explain this visually to your child. In doing so, you are better preparing your child for the future and reducing their anxiety of the unknown in the process. For example, let’s say that your child is worried about going to an activity for the first time. Parents could sit down with their child and draw out a story of a character that is about to go to the same activity. You can then draw out what the child (or character) is to expect from this experience, along with what is expected of the child (or character).
The best part is, there are usually hundreds of ready-made social stories that you can access online for any type of situation. One reason for why this strategy is so effective could be due to your child having difficulties in understanding what to expect in a social environment. Remember, what may be seen as an unwritten rule to a neurotypical person, may need to be spelled out to your autistic child. So, if you know that your child struggles with trying new things and this always leads to a meltdown, using a social story may be a strategy that helps your family.
Visual Timetable
Now this one may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many parents overlook this as an effective strategy. This is especially true with older children and teenagers as some parents may feel like this is too childish for their child. This cannot be further from the truth as visual timetables have been known to work for anyone at any age. The concept of a timetable is to ensure that you know what to expect from your day or your week. For someone with Autism, this is essential to make the world more predictable and manageable.
A timetable doesn’t have to be visual in the sense of having colourful pictures or images on. Your child’s timetable could be sectioned off into different time-zones (often morning and evening) which also makes it less “childish”. What you’ll find is that it will not only reduce the anxieties of your child, but also reduce the feeling of uncertainty in the rest of the family. Everyone likes to know what is going to happen and what to expect, so by implementing this strategy in your home will hopefully reduce the feeling of uncertainty and therefore reduce the amount of meltdowns.
Sensory Environment
This last point is something that most parents miss when trying to implement strategies. I always say to parents, there is no point in trying out any strategy if the environment isn’t right. What I mean by this is, if your child is not comfortable sensory wise then everything else goes out the window. Therefore, as a parent, you need to be aware of your child’s sensory needs. Do they dislike any food textures, do they pick up on smells that others may not. Having this information, will help to reduce your child’s stress levels and in turn, reduce the amount of meltdowns.
Look at it this way! Could you concentrate on a task if you were surrounded by rotting fish? What about if you had to complete the task in clothing that was super tight or itchy? You wouldn’t be able to concentrate as you would be too distracted or annoyed by your environment. This could be what is happening to your child. What I recommend to parents is to think about any possible difficulties they may have with their senses and make notes on any settings that your child may particularly enjoy or dislike. What is it about that setting that they enjoy/dislike from a sensory perspective? In most cases you’ll be able to identify key triggers to meltdowns in their environment, however if you are still struggling, it may be time to go to your GP and request a referral to an Occupational Therapist for further support.
Need extra support? Why not book into a FREE Clinical Appointment with an Autism Specialist by clicking here!