In autistic people, meltdowns and shutdowns may occur. Hereâs what they are, how to identify them, and what to do if someone you know is experiencing one.
MELTDOWN:
A meltdown is a period of explosive anger/sadness/rage/fear which may manifest itself through screaming, crying, yelling, and can occasionally include violent outbursts. In younger children, meltdowns are often confused with tantrums. A tantrum is a tactic used by children to achieve a goal, such as getting a toy they want from the store. A meltdown is not a power play, it is an intense emotional point at which the person can no longer cope with what is happening around them. Meltdowns can occur at ANY AGE. This is an important distinction from tantrums, which tend to subside around ages 5-6. For me, meltdowns are triggered when I feel misunderstood, or feel that something in the environment is unfair or illogical.
Signs that an autistic person is having a meltdown include:
- arguing
- screaming/yelling
- crying
- retreating to a space they feel safer in
- if the person is angry during a meltdown, they may insult the people around them
- curling up into a ball/ fetal position
- going under blankets/ a dark quiet place
- sometimes the person may hit/ kick/ scratch anyone who tries to go near them
- if the person had a goal in mind which was impeded by others, they might perseverate and continue attempting to achieve that goal
What you should and shouldnât do during a meltdown:
- Allow the person go where they want to/ stay where they want to, unless the place theyâre going/ staying presents an immediate safety threat
- do not try to rationalize with them or continue any previous argument
- bring them a blanket and a water bottle with water in it
- if the person has a comfort object bring it to them and let them have it
- do not physically restrain or interact with the person unless they CLEARLY indicate a desire for physical touch
- only touch or restrain the person if they are in immediate danger and you need to get them away from the situation
- stay with the person until the meltdown is over (this may be 15 minutes to 3+ hours so you might want something to occupy yourself while you wait for them to calm down)
- however if the person tells you to go away, respect them and leave the room. However you should stay in the general area in case they become self destructive or violent
- tell the person that you love and care for them and that you will be with them/ there for them until the meltdown passes
SHUTDOWN:
A period of intense emotional/ sensory distress which manifests itself through a period of mental paralyzation. Someone experiencing a shutdown may become partially or entirely unresponsive to outside stimuli or interaction. Internally, the person may be experiencing extreme turmoil and anxiety, so it is important not to ask the person questions, which will make them more anxious and overwhelmed.
Signs that an autistic person is having a shutdown:
- staring blankly into space/ at one specific thing with fixed, unmoving eyes
- a stiff, rigid, unmoving posture
- lack of verbal communication
- breathing may be shallow and rapid or suppressed and slow, could be abnormally loud or abnormally quiet
- lack of response to outside stimuli ex. waving hands in front of their face (please donât do that), speaking to them, asking them whatâs wrong
- sensitivity to loud noise and bright lights (person may cover their eyes or ears)
During a shutdown, here is what you can do to help:
- you can quietly and calmly ask the person if they are having a shutdown. The person might not be able to respond, but if they donât then itâs safe to assume that they are indeed having a shutdown.
- if the person normally likes physical affection and touch, you can hold them/ hug them/ stroke them/ physically comfort them
- if the person normally dislikes physical affection and touch, donât touch them
- if the person has a comfort object and you have access to it, bring it to them (if the comfort object is more than 10- 15 minutes away from you then itâs probably not worth getting because it might not arrive in time to help)
- bring the person a water bottle with water in it
- stop talking about/ discussing any emotionally stressful topics
- if the situation is immediately dangerous, seeing as the person may be unable to move, remove them from the situation as soon as physically possible. You can do this by carrying the person or any other safe method.
- try to remove any sources of sensory information. If the room is bright, turn off the majority of the lights. If the room is loud, make it quiet. If the room is too cold or too hot, make it comfortable. In the case of cold, you can do this by covering the person in a non-itchy, soft blanket.
- reassure the person that you are there for them. Walk them through what youâre doing as you do it. For example, if youâre going to get the person water, tell them. If youâre going to get them out of the situation, tell them. If youâre going to turn off bright lights, tell them. Remember, even if we canât communicate, we can still hear. Itâs comforting to know whatâs going on around us.
I think thatâs just about it, if anyone has anything to add please let me know. I hope that everyone finds this helpful!
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