Meltdown strategies every adult should know
Understanding and Managing Autism: Calming Strategies for Parents and Caregivers
The landscape of autism is evolving rapidly. Experts suggest that by 2025, as many as 50% of children could be diagnosed with autism. While this projection might seem startling, it reflects our deepening understanding of autism and our ongoing efforts to identify and manage it effectively.
Among the crucial aspects of supporting individuals with autism, regardless of age, is the development of calming strategies. These strategies are essential for navigating overwhelming social situations and managing stress both in public settings and at home.
In this blog post, we'll explore some calming tips for parents and caregivers to help support their loved ones with autism.
Recognizing the Signs of an Impending Meltdown
Before delving into specific calming techniques, it's crucial to understand how to recognize the signs of an impending meltdown. Being able to identify these signs early can help you intervene effectively and provide timely support.
Meltdowns in individuals with autism often result from sensory overload rather than mere temper tantrums. Recognizing subtle signs such as sensory seeking or withdrawal can provide valuable cues that a meltdown may be imminent.
Calming Strategies
Utilize Sensory Objects: Sensory toys and objects can be invaluable tools for soothing individuals with autism during the early stages of a meltdown. Items such as fidget toys, music with headphones, or even temperature-related objects can help mitigate sensory overload and provide a welcome distraction.
Provide an Escape: Whenever possible, offer an escape route from overwhelming situations. Pre-planning escape routes or identifying quiet spaces in advance can offer reassurance to individuals with autism, allowing them to remove themselves from stressful environments.
Offer Distractions: Engage the individual's attention with distractions such as discussing their favorite topics or redirecting their focus to nearby objects or activities. While sensory objects are effective distractions, simple conversation or pointing out interesting sights can also help alleviate stress.
Practice Breathing Techniques: Teaching breathing exercises and meditation techniques beforehand can empower individuals with autism to self-soothe during moments of distress. Combining breathing exercises with grounding techniques can further enhance their effectiveness in promoting calmness.
Embrace Exercise and Movement: Encouraging physical activity and movement can be an effective way to channel excess energy and promote relaxation. Creating a sensory path at home or engaging in outdoor activities like running or jumping can help individuals with autism regulate their emotions and reduce stress.
Start a Yoga Routine: Incorporating yoga into the daily routine can provide numerous benefits for individuals with autism, including promoting relaxation, enhancing body awareness, and improving focus. Yoga's emphasis on deep breathing and mindfulness makes it a valuable tool for managing stress and anxiety.
Have a Game Plan: Establishing a pre-meltdown routine and communicating it clearly to the individual can provide a sense of security and predictability. Having a plan in place for how to respond to escalating stress levels can help both caregivers and individuals with autism navigate challenging situations more effectively.
Use an emotions thermometer: When your child has a meltdown, try and capture all of the information you can that led to it. The same applies if they are overwhelmed, anxious, unmotivated. The more information the better. Once you have this information you will start to notice patterns. Maybe it was the time of day, something they were wearing, smelling, seeing. Were they hungry? Hot? Tired? Once you can find a common thread you're on a fast track to finding a strategy to avoid them. If you would like a copy of my meltdown thermometer, please reach out, DM me on Instagram or send me a message here and I will email you a copy free of charge.
Conclusion
Supporting individuals with autism requires patience, understanding, and a willingness to explore various calming strategies. While not every technique will work for every individual, the key is to remain flexible and attentive to their unique needs. By incorporating these calming strategies into your caregiving approach, you can help create a supportive environment where individuals with autism can thrive.