During meltdowns, the emotional part of the brain takes over, and it may be difficult for the individual to listen while they are experiencing it since explanations and logic may not be clearly understood and may add to sensory overload. In these cases, it is best for an individual to self-regulate.
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.
During a tantrum, when the amygdala and limbic system take over, it is almost impossible for logic to penetrate your child's brain. Our capacity for calm in the midst of a kid's emotional storm offers hope, because it signals that calm is possible in the midst of chaos.
This book describes a model of positive behavior supports for preventing and responding to the cycle of meltdown behavior for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The model includes six phases: Calm, Triggers, Agitation, Meltdowns, Re-Grouping, and Starting Over.
The come down from a meltdown can be very draining. It feels like your body went into fight or flight but it chose both and you just ran for miles beating yourself up along the way. A lot of autistic people are aware their meltdowns may not be so “typical” for most people. They might feel embarrassed at their reaction.
They may not respond to communication anymore, retreat to their room or lie down on the floor. They may also no longer be able to move from the situation they are in, no matter what it is (for example, a shopping centre or a classroom). Shutdowns tend to be more discreet than meltdowns, and may sometimes go unnoticed.
Summary: Autistic Burnout Symptoms
Autistic burnout can look like many things, but most commonly, it shows itself as extreme exhaustion, increased sensory sensitives, loss of executive functioning skills, decreased ability to manage emotions, difficulty adapting to change, and depression.
Autistic children and teenagers need support to recognise overwhelmed feelings and know what to do. Help autistic children and teenagers avoid meltdowns by stepping in when they start to get agitated. During a meltdown, stay calm, give children space, avoid saying too much, and wait.
However, meltdowns happen more frequently during childhood and can last for minutes to hours. Autistic meltdowns can be external and include aggressive behavior, agitation, or extreme emotional responses. In many ways experiencing an autistic meltdown is like riding a wave.
They might fall down, act out, cry, swear, scream, throw things, hit themselves or others, run away from you, or bite. Meltdowns can last from minutes to hours. Meltdowns are not your child's way of manipulating you: Meltdowns are emotional explosions. Your child is overloaded and is incapable of rational thinking.
Sometimes, it can take a few minutes, whereas others can take hours or even days to return to their pre-meltdown state.
Meltdowns occur when people feel overloaded. When the stimulus causing the meltdown goes away, people feel drained but return to balance rather quickly. A nervous breakdown, on the other hand, is a mental breakdown. It's more often the result of long-term psychological stress.
Every child is different, but some common triggers include: Sensory overload or understimulation. This is when a child is sensitive to sound, touch, taste, smell, visuals or movements. Changes in routine or dealing with an unexpected change.
Meltdowns can look like any of these actions: withdrawal (where the person zones out, stares into space, and/or has body parts do repetitive movements) or outward distress (crying uncontrollably, screaming, stomping, curling up into a ball, growling, etc.).
Two types of reaction are typical of autism meltdowns – an explosive reaction or a withdrawal. Explosive reactions may involve screaming, shouting, aggressive behaviour or crying. On the other hand, less explosive reactions may include refusing to communicate or interact, withdrawing themselves or shutting down.
Autistic burnout is a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate supports. It is characterised by pervasive, long-term (typically 3+ months) exhaustion, loss of function, and reduced tolerance to stimulus.
Young kids, autistic or not, deserve to see that they are loved and cared for even when they are falling apart. Not all kids are able or willing to take comfort in the middle of a meltdown, but staying nearby, acknowledging their feelings, and showing that you care nurtures emotional connection and security.
ASD Level 3 – On the most severe end of the spectrum is Level 3 which requires very substantial support. Signs associated with both Level 1 and Level 2 are still present but are far more severe and accompanied by other complications as well.
In conclusion, there are many factors that can make autism worse. Sensory overload, changes in routine, social isolation, co-occurring conditions, and lack of support can all exacerbate the symptoms of autism.
While they may look similar in external behaviour, it's important to understand the difference between the two. A tantrum is willful behaviour in younger children and therefore can be shaped by rewarding desired behaviours, whereas a meltdown can occur across a lifespan and isn't impacted by a rewards system.
A person in a burnout might find him/herself unable to perform some skills as well as he/she used to and be more prone to sensory overload. This sounds a lot like a shutdown, but burnouts last much longer—for weeks, months, or years.
During a meltdown, we found that most autistics described feeling overwhelmed by information, senses, and social and emotional stress. They often felt extreme emotions, such as anger, sadness, and fear, and had trouble with thinking and memory during the meltdown.
Autistic burnout might look like:
Difficulty with skills such as speech and language, executive function, self-regulation. Heightened sensory sensitivity or need for more sensory input. Increase in mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
The short answer is that autism does not necessarily get worse with age. However, the symptoms of autism can change over time, and some people may experience new challenges as they get older. For example, some people with autism may become more aware of their social differences as they enter adolescence and adulthood.