Alert! Alert! We Are Having A Meltdown!
I am out with my friends on a nice Saturday afternoon. All of this, suddenly, my phone goes off. My youngest son, is having a bit of a meltdown. I leave my friends and drive home to care for my son. I don’t know what I am going into, but I am ready. I know these things happen. I always expect the unexpected because I know autism is very unpredictable, and anything can happen at any moment.
As I have stated in many of my previous writings, I am a single parent of two teenage boys on the autism spectrum. This has affected every aspect of my life.
It is why I will not take a job that would require me to be on-call with high demands or take a job that would require me to travel for business. What good would it do me as a parent if I was gone 500 miles away and my kids needed me?
This also means I cannot take off to have a fun weekend with friends for the same reasons. If I do go out, it is usually no further than a half-hour radius of my home, and I always take my vehicle in case of an emergency.
What causes meltdowns?
Autism is a unique diagnosis in that what causes a meltdown for one may not cause a meltdown for another.
These triggers can range from the following.
- Sensory sensitives.
- Lack of communication abilities.
- Unable to process complex life situations.
- Something out of their routine has transpired.
- Changes in their social dynamic.
- Transitioning from one activity to another.
Warning signs of having a meltdown can range from person to person, and a caregiver must learn what the warning signs are and try to de-escalate the situation. Typical characteristics of a prelude to a meltdown are the following.
- Hard Stimming.
- Repetitive motions and speech.
- Disassociation from reality.
- Agitation and other elevated behaviors.
It is important to create a calm and safe environment for someone having a meltdown and use calming techniques that work for the individual. There is no standard solution for this other than providing a calm environment for the person in crisis. There will be much trial and error to determine what works and what doesn’t since everyone with autism is different.
This is the dark side of autism, and it comes with the territory. It is not all about breakthroughs and feel-good moments. It can be draining, but it is the life that I live with my two boys. All the efforts I had and will put forth will be worth it in the end…