MELTDOWNS...Par for the Sensory Course 01/03/2012
 I think it is quite possible the word "meltdown" is the most frequently used term and struggle for parents of sensory kiddos. A meltdown can be referred to a child who is kicking and screaming and biting or spitting...or a child who simply can't stop crying....or a child reacting to a situation in a disruptive and aggressive manner...or simply losing all emotional control. As a sensory OT I think the biggest missing puzzle piece is in understanding WHY a child has a meltdown. Most parents, teachers, caregivers, etc simply have not been taught why the sensory child has a meltdown and how to help them. Unfortunately meltdowns often fall into the behavior category in our society. Yet in my professional opinion, there is a very very small percentage of meltdowns which warrant being considered behavioral, especially with our sensory kiddos! IMPORTANT SENSORY CONCEPT: Children inherently want to please, they do not want to misbehave or get in trouble. I think this concept is SO very important to remember when talking about meltdowns. The meltdown is often misunderstood for attention seeking or spoiled behavior or simply the child trying to get what they want out of the situation. This may be true in a few cases, but with our sensory kiddos it is often much more deep rooted than that. Here are some of the most common reasons a sensory child may have a meltdown....
HOW TO HELP! I truly believe most meltdowns trigger a "fight or flight" reaction for the child's brain, especially with sensory kiddos. Therefore the meltdown lasts longer and is difficult to manage. Here are my three recommendations... #1 Do not treat the meltdown as behavior. #2 Try to determine if there is a sensory trigger or lack of essential sensory input (too much screen time). #3 Follow the steps below in regards to "fight or flight". “Fight or Flight” Response Understanding and Addressing the Sympathetic Nervous System Research shows that children with sensory processing disorder and sensory processing differences have a greater tendency to switch from the PNS (parasympathetic nervous system) to the SNS (sympathetic nervous system) based on an adverse stimuli or an environment with new or a great amount of sensory stimuli. Parasympathetic nervous system: This is where our nervous remains most of the time and when we are at “ready state” for learning, social interaction, and alert and awake. Sympathetic nervous system: The state of “fight or flight”. This part of our nervous system is intended for safety and the ability to react to a perceived dangerous situation. Why do we See our Sensory Kids in “Fight or Flight”? Children with sensory defensiveness or sensory over-responsivity perceive their environment as dangerous and painful based on how they process sensory information. Therefore their nervous system switches to the SNS and displays a “fight or flight” response. A child who has a difficult time processing and modulating sensory input can also have the tendency to switch to “fight or flight”. And almost all sensory kiddos have a difficult time with self-regulation, in turn, a greater risk for “fight or flight” episodes. What Does “Fight or Flight” Look Like? There are many different manifestations of “fight or flight” but some common responses may be:
What Do You Do? How to Respond... #1 Do NOT treat it from a behavioral stand point; your efforts will be fruitless. The brain is not responding in a cortical manor (thinking, judgment, and reasoning), it has shifted to brainstem level during a “fight or flight” episode. I think this is the most important concept to grasp. #2 Remove the child from the adverse stimuli and decrease sensory stimuli to a minimum. #3 Provide a “sensory retreat” for the child, such as a play tent loaded with pillows with other calming sensory tools (soft music, vibration, chewy/oral sensory tool, weighted blanket, noise cancelling headphones, calming fidget toy) #4 Allow for the child to come out of the sensory retreat on their own terms. Their nervous system will know when it is ready. #5 Do not try to talk the child through it, calm, bargain, or rationalize. This in itself can be overwhelming and the child’s brain is not ready for that type of interaction yet.  Commentscorey 01/03/2012 11:07
As a mother of 6 and 8 year old boys with SPD, this is one the most straight forward, practical articles I have read on the subject. Well done and thank you. 01/03/2012 11:08
I really needed to read this post tonight as my special needs daughter is having loads of these meltdowns several times a day, and I was at a loss as to why or how best to help her. Thank you Angela 01/03/2012 13:52
Thank you for this. My son, age 3.5 is adopted from S. Korea - and has SPD. Christmas and our holiday travel has gotten him so discombobulated, despite our attempts to keep it as low key as possible and feed the sensory diet..and he has been melting down regularly over the last few weeks. We're going through a tough time. I needed this and am going to print it...share with family members and my husband! Thank you! Dawn 01/03/2012 19:08
Thank you so much... I don't know if there isn't a day we do not struggle with this dilemma with our 5 YO... The hardest is school... but am going to share this information with his teachers in hopes to bring it home. thanks again for sharing - it is much appreciated! Maria 01/04/2012 00:50
Thank you for this article. My daughter is 6yrs old and has Down Syndrome. She displays all of the above regularly and we are a waiting for an assessment with an OT to see if she has Sensory PD. This article helps me realise I am not loosing my mind. 01/04/2012 14:17
Thank you so much for this informative and insightful article. Would it be okay to repost this (with credit to you of course) on our non-profit's website? I'm the mom of two kiddos with sensory processing issues and am on the spectrum as well. Mandie 01/06/2012 11:25
Thank you so much!!! Gil 01/06/2012 14:01
As an adult aspie and the mother of an adult aspie I've got to say that this is about the closest I've ever seen anyone come to comprehending the 'meltdown'. Abby 01/09/2012 16:43
Printing this out to put on the fridge, because in the heat of the moment I don't remember this and don't always handle it well. Cathy 04/25/2012 00:13
Thank you for putting words to something that I have felt in my heart about my sensory kiddos for a long time. Since it seems that most of society sees meltdowns as a behavioral problem, I have had a hard time validating this real need for my children to have someone understand that they are not in control, are in fight or flight and need tools to get through the situation rather than discipline at that moment. Thank you for helping me to trust myself, my instincts, listen to my children's behavior, and respond appropriately (to heck w/ the so called "experts"). Thank you so very much for this article. I am a mother of two autistic boys, and never understood why they have these meltdowns, or what to do to help them threw these sensory over-loads they experience. This article made it so much clear to understand. Now I feel I help make there lives a little easier. Thanks Shirly 05/07/2012 23:30
This is very well written. As a new OTA I understand this and have been trying to explain this to daycare when they say he keeps doing things "for attention." I am going to print this and share with them. Thank you so much. The fight or flight is so my son and usually it's a fight. Angie Voss, OTR/L 05/08/2012 01:43
Hi Shirly, 05/07/2012 23:42
Wish I had this when my daughter was in preschool and NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, knew what the hell I was talking about when I tried to explain my daughter's meltdowns, meltdowns that resulted in "fight" mode. Teachers went straight to behavioral, then looked past behavioral and judged me as a parent. Things began to change in kindergarten, but that was after an awful start at a school where staff was just shy of abusive in their responses to my daughter. Her second kindergarten teacher has proven, however, to be amazing in her response to children on the spectrum (thank you God). I will be printing and forwarding this info to every teacher and helping professional I know! Thank you! Christine 05/08/2012 00:05
Carmen, I can so relate! My daughter is in pre-school now with the school district and has an IEP. Thankfully we have a wonderful special education teacher that works with her and seems to get it and try to do everything she can to help, but I noticed that the school principal doesn't seem to get it and frankly I worry about sending her to kindergarten in a year. It's heartbreaking when you have to worry about stuff like this. Christine 05/08/2012 00:02
Reading this article I immediately felt like Finally! someone gets it! My daughter, now 3 1/2, is a former 24 weeker and along with developmental delays we've always attempted to deal with her extreme meltdowns that result in crying, kicking, screaming, scratching, biting, head butting on and on... It's like her brain just shuts down, her eyes glaze over and there is absolutely no reasoning with her whatsoever. Sometimes they go on for close to an hour! Most nights we fall into bed extremely exhausted, knowing we have to start it all over again the next day. Her big sister, who is 5, is afraid of her little sister and they fight continually. Prior to turning 3, she used to bang her head on the floor and we felt helpless to help her stop. Beverley 05/08/2012 09:20
thank you so much for this information, it is really help advice for when my 10 year old is having a "melt down"...he has GDD but has recently been diagnoised with ADHD and major sensory problems...something I always knew but struggled to get someone to listen to till recently...I have always been told I was too soft with him or need to be firmer when dealing with his "melt downs"..but the more I tried to stop it or control it the worse it got...this article has explained so much to me and is such a great help in knowing how to react when my son gets upset...thank you so much for the information xx Kristina Johnson 05/08/2012 09:44
I have triplet 13 yr old boys with Epilepsy, ADHD, OCD and SLD, and sensory disorder. Their bday party was Sunday and all 3 had major meltdowns. My family does not understand. They thought I need to treat it as a behavior problem. Once I kicked all my family out of my home cause they were yelling at them my kids calmed down snuggled in our arms with blankets wrapped around them and they fell asleep. My family will never understand. No more get togethers at my home. I will not subject my kids to their ( the adults) bad behaviors. Sharon 05/08/2012 14:29
Thank you for taking the time to write this!! I will share far and wide as well. This is exactly why "Love and Logic" and normal discipline DOES NOT work with sensory kids - and in fact makes the situation much worse. Again, thank you. Donielle 05/08/2012 14:39
Thank you so much for writing this. I have a 3 year-old with SPD and it's difficult to help others understand her meltdowns. This explains it beautifully. Angelrae 05/08/2012 15:51
Excellent article. Really needed it right now. 11 yr old Aspie, ADHD, OCD, ODD etc. is right at that fork in the road where the meltdowns are so bad and dangerous that the teachers are threatening to get the law involved. If you don't mind, I'd like to make a copy of this, credited to you, of course. I think this may come in handy to help others understand. Angie Voss, OTR/L 05/08/2012 23:17
of course, that is totally fine...I wish you the best and I hope the documentation helps. Rebekah 05/10/2012 22:14
Wow thank you soooo much this article is wonderful very very helpful !! Paige 05/18/2012 21:00
Excellent reading! Am still learning more baout my little man's response to noise and this seems to describe it perfectly. 05/18/2012 21:10
This is so helpful and well written. I agree with everything you said, thanks! Leave a Reply |    
Angie Voss, OTR/L
|
RSS Feed