Autism Meltdown

Many autistic people have meltdowns. The public often finds it hard to tell autism meltdowns and temper tantrums apart, but they are very different things. If your family member or the person you support has meltdowns, find out how to anticipate them, identify their causes and minimise their frequency.
 

What is a meltdown? 

A meltdown is an intense response to an overwhelming situation. It happens when someone becomes completely overwhelmed by their current situation and temporarily loses control of their behaviour. This loss of control can be expressed verbally (eg shouting, screaming, crying), physically (eg kicking, lashing out, biting) or in both ways. 

What to do 

If someone is having a meltdown, or not responding to you, don’t judge them. It can make a world of difference to an autistic person and their carers. 

• Give them some time - it can take a while to recover from information or sensory overload. 
• Calmly ask them (or their parent or friend) if they’re OK, but bear in mind they’ll need more time to respond than you might expect. 
• Make space - try to create a quiet, safe space as best you can. Ask people to move along and not to stare, turn off loud music and turn down bright lights – whatever you can think of to reduce the information overload, try it.

Anticipating a meltdown 

Many autistic people will show signs of distress before having a meltdown, which is sometimes referred to as the “rumble stage”. They may start to exhibit signs of anxiety such as pacing, seek reassurance through repetitive questioning or physical signs such as rocking or becoming very still. 

Identifying the causes 

A meltdown is a reaction to an overwhelming experience. If your family member or the person you support has meltdowns, identify what is overwhelming for them. Complete a diary over a period of time. Record what happened before, during and after each meltdown. 

triggers 

Once you have a clearer idea what may be triggering meltdowns, think about ways you might minimise that trigger. Every autistic person is different, but sensory differences, changes in routine, anxiety, and communication difficulties are common triggers

Change in routine 

Consistent, predictable routines and structure are very important for autistic people and a change to routine can be very distressing. 

For example, having to go a different route to school due to roadworks could cause feelings of anxiety, that may trigger a meltdown.

Communication difficulties 

Autistic people can find it difficult to express their wants and needs, from a non-verbal child struggling to express their need for a drink to a teenager finding it hard to express their emotions. This can result in overwhelming feelings, such as anger and frustration, 

Support the person to find ways to understand and express their emotions appropriately before they get overwhelmed, and find ways to make your own communication more easily 

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Daily Routines are Important for Kids with Autism… AND all Kids!

 Routine for children of all developmental and learning abilities, both at home and in school.Maintaining strong social-emotional health we try to stick  to our daily routines with Brad.

• Eliminate power struggles
• Maintain consistency
• Foster cooperation
• Build the parent-child connection
• Help brad  take ownership of his own activities

How to Create Daily Routines for Kids with Autism: Stay C.A.L.M

Create

You can’t have a routine if you don’t create one. Start by identifying each task you’d like your child to complete, list them out, and organize a structured schedule. Designate when each should occur and for how long.

Alert

Creating an autism daily routine is one thing, sticking to it is another.  So stay on schedule with alerts, no matter how busy things get.

Like

A little positive reinforcement can go a long way. So be sure your child knows how much you like what they’re doing every step of the way.

Maintain

Maintaining the daily routine will likely be the hardest challenge. At least at first.But the longer you keep up a regular schedule, the easier it will be to maintain. So stay consistent.

Here is an example of my daily schedule for brad with autism who attend school.

• 6:00 AM Wake up
• 6:02 AM Drop his sister off for school 
• 6:20 AM Get dressed
• 7:00 AM Eat breakfast
• 7:30 AM School 🏫 

You can also create routines like this for your kiddos in the 

 Saturday, Sunday, no school sleep 💤 in 

Wake up whenever

Make your Bed 🛌 

Brush your teeth 🪥 

Get dressed 🩳 

schedules reinforce your family routines by making them fun 

Follow up click on the link for more 

https://linktr.ee/livebeyondautism

Bullying Prevention

 

Please read Bullying Prevention We’re all different. All unique. Yet, feeling different among peers can have a lasting effect. Words like weird, odd, strange used in a hurtful or derogatory way aren’t easily forgotten, and when combined with being excluded from lunchroom tables and social gatherings on the playground, it can have a greater devastating impact. What’s more, these words and actions can escalate to other forms of emotional or physical bullying. behavior that hurts, harms, or humiliates. Whether physically or emotionally, it can happen while at school, in the community, or online. Those bullying often have more social or physical “power,” while those targeted have difficulty stopping the behavior. The behavior is often done with intent and typically repeated.

As parents, one of the most important things we will ever do is model and teach compassion. When we model this, along with kindness and empathy, we promote understanding and acceptance of others. It’s up to us to teach our children about their peers with autism, Down syndrome and other disabilities, and how we are all deserving of inclusion, acceptance and each other’s respect.

It’s okay to feel different, but it’s not okay to treat – or be treated – differently. It’s up to us to empower our children to know and understand the difference while teaching the importance of self-love and embracing what makes us unique. Please feel free to share and check out my website for our journey click on the link https://linktr.ee/livebeyondautism

kids to go back to school

 Are you getting ready for your kids to go back to school?  Today we’re sharing our favorite first day of school tradition.It starts with these first days of school kids Picture, and an after-school treat to welcome them home from their first day of school.

Publix, for example, is running its Back to School promotions went this week and picked up a pack of  Pop-Tarts for my daughter Pringles and Quaker Bars Value Packs 

I stocked up on Quaker Chocolate Chip Bars Value Packs while they were buy 1 get 1 free. The kids love these!

After the first day of school

My favorite part of the school day is hearing all about it when they get home.  We always have to get Together in our family room on the first day, for the all the excitement.

Please share how your first day of school was by clicking on the LinkWww.Livebeyondautism.com

Signs of Autism

 

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by:

• social impairments
• cognitive impairments
• communication difficulties
• repetitive behaviors

Because Autism is a spectrum disorder, it can range from very mild to very severe and occur in all ethnic, socioeconomic and age groups. Males are four times more likely to have autism than females. Some children with autism appear normal before age 1 or 2 and then suddenly “regress” and lose language or social skills they had previously gained. This is called the regressive type of autism.

Early Signs:

A person with ASD might:

• Not respond to their name (the child may appear deaf)
• Not point at objects or things of interest, or demonstrate interest
• Not play “pretend” games
• Avoid eye contact
• Want to be alone
• Have difficulty understanding, or showing understanding, or other people’s feelings or their own
• Have no speech or delayed speech
• Repeat words or phrases over and over (echolalia)
• Give unrelated answers to questions
• Get upset by minor changes
• Have obsessive interests
• Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin in circles
• Have unusual reactions (over or under-sensitivity) to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
• Have low to no social skills
• Avoid or resist physical contact
• Demonstrate little safety or danger awareness

• People with autism may also:

  • Have unusual interests and behaviors
  • Have extreme anxiety and phobias, as well as unusual phobias
  • Line up toys or other objects
  • Play with toys the same way every time
  • Like parts of objects (e.g., wheels)
  • Become upset by minor changes
  • Have obsessive interests

  Other Symptoms:

• Hyperactivity (very active)
• Impulsivity (acting without thinking)
• Short attention span
• Aggression
• Causing self injury
• Meltdowns
• Unusual eating and sleeping habits
• Unusual mood or emotional reactions
• Lack of fear or more fear than expected
• Have unusual sleeping habits

• Developmental Screening

  Developmental screening is a short test to tell if children are learning basic skills when they should, or if they might have delays. During developmental screening the doctor might ask the parent some questions or talk and play with the child during an exam to see how she learns, speaks, behaves, and moves. A delay in any of these areas could be a sign of a problem.

  All children should be screened for developmental delays and disabilities during regular well-child doctor visits at:

• 9 months
• 18 months
• 24 or 30 months

• Additional screening might be needed if a child is at high risk for developmental delays due to preterm birth, low birth weight, having a sibling with ASD or if behaviors associated with ASDs are present.

  If your child’s doctor does not routinely check your child with this type of developmental screening test, ask that it be done.  If the doctor sees any signs of a problem, a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation is needed.

  Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation

  The second step of diagnosis is a comprehensive evaluation. This thorough review may include looking at the child’s behavior and development and interviewing the parents. It may also include a hearing and vision screening, genetic testing, neurological testing, and other medical testing.

  In some cases, the primary care doctor might choose to refer the child and family to a specialist for further assessment and diagnosis. Specialists who can do this type of evaluation include:

  • Developmental Pediatricians (doctors who have special training in child development and children with special needs)
  • Child Neurologists (doctors who work on the brain, spine, and nerves)
  • Child Psychologists or Psychiatrists (doctors who know about the human mind)

9 Early Signs of Autism (That I Missed)

 

EARLY SIGNS OF AUTISM 

that I missed

1. Gets upset around groups of people

2. Narrow areas of interest

3. Making up words

4. Over the top reaction to smells

5. Frequent ear infections

6. Everything had to go his way.

7.Took a long time to wean from the bottle

8. Didn't like messy play

9. Didn't show the

"classic"signs

Is Brad Happy?

               When my child has a meltdown, 

As a mother I wonder sometimes if Brad is happy.My son Brad with autism he cry for many reasons and I'm trying to figure out why crying can be tricky. Today’s blog is all about the reasons why kids might be crying and how i can help turn his behavior around. As a mother, I’ve seen in many situations with kids crying. How can I help my son.  It’s normal to ask, “why is my child with autism crying so much?”

When my son has a meltdown, I often want to stop the tears because it hurts my heart ♥️  that my child is struggling. Or I'm running low on patience and just want peace and quiet.

Many times, we’re coping with the fifth or sixth meltdown over simple things like the tag in his shirt being too itchy, are his sister talking too loudly, or a change in plans.

Autistic children aren’t crying, wailing, or flailing to get at us somehow. They’re crying because it’s what their bodies need to do in that moment to release tension and emotion from feeling overwhelmed with emotions or sensory stimulations.

Their brains are wired differently and so it’s how they interact with the world. That’s something I have to come to terms with as parents so I can support Brad in the best way.

So how can i effectively support my son  through these often loud and thrashing meltdowns?

Expressing his emotions in a healthy way — whether through tears, wailing, playing, even if these emotions feel overwhelming in their magnitude.

Many times, i try to talk to brad down from his panic, but it’s often a waste of breath when he is in the throes of a meltdown.

So what can i do is let him know that he is  safe and loved.i do this by staying as near to him too comfort Brad.

My son can’t control his meltdowns, so maybe I shouldn’t punished him.

Instead, i should allowed him space and freedom to cry loudly. as a parent am letting him know am his number one supported.

Meltdowns for any child can get noisy, but they tend to go to a whole other level of loud when it’s an autistic child.

These outbursts can feel embarrassing to parents when we’re in public and everyone is staring at us.We feel the judgment from some saying, “I’d never let my kid act like that.”

Or worse, we feel like our deepest fears are validated: People think we’re failing at this whole parenting thing.

My son responds really well to is it ok mom/ dad daily (his favorite word ) but we try not to use it's ok for every-time.

These coping strategies will help him calm down —is it ok mom/ dad   perhaps before a meltdown.

Empathy is at the heart of all of these steps to dealing with an autistic meltdown.

What your meltdown like ................ How do you perhaps respond to your child meltdown Subscribe to Www.Livebeyondautism.com subscribe=1  

Is There Medication for Autism

 Medication for Autism Spectrum Disorder

There are two FDA approved medications for autism which include Ariprozaol or Abilify and Risperidone or Risperdal. These medications have indications for treating severe mood, irritability, severe aggression, and self-injury. Medications should never be a standalone treatment for someone with autism. It should always be a package as part of the package of treatments that an individual is receiving which can include ABA therapy, changes in multivitamins, diet changes, as well as other interventions or medications. It is also important for parents and families to understand the time and data necessary to understand a medicine is working, it will normally take consistent administering and a correct dosage of a medication to see significant changes.For us we have try several different medication 💊 that should work for Brad but the end of all trying some of the medication cause him to feel bad, aggressive and staring at the wall. But because of his  ADHD we are done trying and just see what medication 💊 work for his ADHD because there’s no medication for autism but there’s medication to control his outburst. As I mentioned before, is an FDA approved drug typically used for symptoms including severe aggression. Let me know what your input on medication 💊