How to Limit Your Child’s Melt Downs

Meltdowns are different from tantrums. A tantrum is when a child is still in control of their actions and can stop. A meltdown seems to get worse over time, and the child is so upset that they no longer feel in control of their behavior.

When your child is having a meltdown, your first thought is, “How do I stop this?” The key to stopping the meltdown is focusing in on your child’s behavior. The behavior is giving you cues. Try to figure out what the behavior is communicating to you. If you are not sure, create a chart with the time, place, situation, and what happened. Your data will help you find the trigger. A lot of the time you will see stimming, anxiety, change of voice (pitch), or facial expression before melt down occurs. Most children have melt downs when they are over-stimulated (sensory overload), over- emotional, over- informed, tired, hungry, or going through change. These situations can cause tremendous stress and make communicating very difficult. To ease the amount of meltdowns your child is having, you can:

1.      Prepare the child for the situation or change- We prepare our children by making countdown calendars, reading social stories, looking at pictures, and doing an activity such as a craft about the situation or change.

 

2.     Limit the amount of choices (keep it simple) - This still gives the child responsibility and choice while helping them not feel overwhelmed.

 

3.     Know your child’s limits and help them work through tough situations. Our son has trouble in crowds. To help him work through this we have gradually taken him to playgrounds or gymnastics classes that have one more child each time.

 

4.     Let them set the pace- do not try to rush them. Use encouraging words to keep them going.

 

5.     Establish routines so every day is predictable. Have a chart or calendar that shows each days activities.

 

6.     Make sure your child is getting enough sleep. Allow them to take naps if they need to.

 

7.     Feed your child on their schedule time, so they do not get hungry. Have snacks and drinks ready and available if child is hungry in between meal times.

 

8.     Have therapy supplies ready for any moment. If it gets too loud, get out the head phones. If your child needs something to chew, hand them a chewy stick. Having items ready that will calm them helps prevent meltdowns. Here is a list of supplies I always have with me to prevent meltdowns:

§  a figet to squeeze,

§  weighted blanket/ vest/ animal

 

§  a therapressure brush for deep pressure.

§  sunglasses/ baseball cap (to block the sun),

§  head phones (when places are too loud),

§  gum/chew stixx/ crunchy or chewy snack,

§  scented lotion

Raising a special needs child who has frequent meltdowns is not easy. Prevention is the key. I hope these preventative ideas help you ease the amount of meltdowns your child is having.