Knowing what to do when an autistic child has a meltdown always will depend entirely on the child and the situation.

With that said however there is no harm in providing ideas and suggestions to try.

What is a meltdown?

A meltdown is generally defined as a period of intense distress, during which a child may become overwhelmed and unable to control their behavior.

It’s important for parents to understand that meltdowns are a natural and expected part of life for some children with autism and to know how to effectively manage them.

Tips to help with meltdowns

Identify triggers

Try to identify what triggers your child’s meltdowns. Common triggers include changes in routine, overwhelming sensory stimulation, and frustration often with communication.

Once you understand what triggers your child’s meltdowns, you can try to avoid those triggers or prepare for them in advance.

Create appropriate environments

If you can try to create a calm and safe environment for your child during a meltdown.

Remove any potential hazards and provide a space where your child can feel secure.

It’s also helpful to create a designated safe space that your child can retreat to when they feel overwhelmed.

Use calming strategies

Dependent on their level of understanding try to teach your child calming strategies, such as deep breathing or visualisation, that they can use during a meltdown.

Encourage your child to use these strategies as soon as they feel overwhelmed.

Stay calm yourself

It’s important to remain calm during a meltdown. Children pick up on their parents’ emotions, so it’s important to model calm behavior.

Speak in a soothing voice and offer reassurance to your child.

Give your child space

Sometimes, giving your child space can be the best thing you can do during a meltdown. Let your child have a moment to calm down and regain control.

Avoid punishment if possible

Punishment is not always an effective way to manage meltdowns. Children with autism may not be able to control their behavior during a meltdown and punishing them will only increase their distress or anxiety.

Use distraction

You could try to instantly draw their attention to something else. This could be a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ box of toys or stickers or even pointing out something outside such as a bus or a bird.

Wait it out

A readily available option most of the time is just to wait it out. Naturally this is dependent on your surroundings and you may need thick skin but just allowing your child to calm in their own time can be successful.

Give in to their demands

This may be a slightly controversial suggestion but there are ways and means of giving into an autistic child’s demands.

An example could be if they are having a meltdown because they want their tablet you could offer up a phone instead. Similarly if they want some chocolate you could offer cake instead.

The idea of this tactic is so not to reward their tantrum with what they directly want but instead ‘meet them half way’.

Summary

Knowing what to do when an autistic child has a meltdown can be challenging for parents.

Remember to identify triggers, create a calm and safe environment, use calming strategies, stay calm, give your child space, avoid punishment, and seek professional help if needed.

Feel free to browse our archive for more articles on raising an autistic child.