You'll know the difference by context. It's a tantrum when the child wants something, a toy, or sweets, or because they want to win a game that they're losing. When they're overwhelmed and anxious, it'll most likely be a meltdown.
A tantrum is a controlled behavioral response to not getting something a child wants. A sensory meltdown is an uncontrolled triggered response that occurs when a child is overstimulated by a thought or something in their environment.
Meltdowns do not have a purpose.
Typical tantrums are often manipulative in which a child learns that they can get what they want if they cry or scream. By contrast, autistic tantrums are not manipulative: they are genuine cries of distress. 1
Meltdowns can come in the form of physical flailing, withdrawing from spaces and events where their peers are present, yelling, crying, kicking and more. Sensory overload can occur just about anywhere, but especially in newer environments where your child is most sensitive to the sensory information they're receiving.
What is a sensory meltdown? Sensory meltdowns are what I consider to be extreme temper tantrums that have a sensory trigger to them. These typically involve extreme aggressive behaviors (head banging, hand biting, scratching or pushing others), and require a lot of assistance to recover.
Signs of sensory processing disorder include sudden mood swings and strange behavior. Kids with sensory issues might avoid bright lights or loud noises, run around crashing into things, throw tantrums, or appear clumsy.
Yes! Although they sound similar, sensory processing difficulties can be present without autism. Often children or adults with other neurodevelopmental or psychiatric conditions such as Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability, Anxiety, ADHD, or mood disorders can also exhibit Sensory Processing Disorder.
Sensory sensitivity to noise, lights, crowds, or touch can cause children and adults who have sensory processing disorders to become confused and frightened. The overloaded senses may lead to reactions that parents perceive as behavior problems when they are really just signs of sensory overload.
It happens when an ADHDer is hyper-sensitive to the sensory information their brain receives, causing them to experience certain sensations more intensely or longer than normal. This leads to overstimulation and a “fight or flight” response, which may affect how a person functions daily.
However, autistic meltdowns are not age-related and they may happen at any age. Many autistic adults, especially the higher functioning ones, may learn some strategies to prevent meltdowns and cope with them.
Kids with ADHD can also have tantrums or meltdowns. These meltdowns can be extreme and often involve crying, yelling, and fits of anger. When a child has a meltdown, parents may feel overwhelmed and not know what to do.
Similarly, people with ADHD can also experience 'meltdowns' more commonly than others, which is where emotions build up so extremely that someone acts out, often crying, angering, laughing, yelling and moving all at once, driven by many different emotions at once – this essentially resembles a child tantrum and can ...
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.
Go to a quieter place
If the child or adult is having a sensory overload, the best option is to remove them from the area. Finding a quiet place without too much sensory stimulation can help them calm down and not feel so overwhelmed.
Any child can have a sensory meltdown, but for the average kid, this would take A LOT of intense exposure to a multitude of sensations. For kids with sensory processing difficulties, they're triggered much more easily. When their brain can't take any more sensations, the result is a sensory meltdown.
“In the majority of people, sensory issues resolve on their own, or become significantly milder and less interfering as a child grows,” explains Wendy Nash, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Dr. Nash, who has treated many children with autism, adds that sensory issues associated with autism tend to last longer.
Symptoms of overstimulation
Overstimulation typically happens when one or more of your senses is overstimulated. Symptoms may include: sensitivity to certain textures, fabrics, clothing tags, or other things that may rub against the skin. unable to hear or focus over background sounds.
Sound: Many people with ADHD are hypersensitive to auditory stimulants such as multiple simultaneous conversations, loud music, fireworks, or grating noises. For these individuals, such sounds could result in a stress reaction.
ADHD stimming is when a person with ADHD displays self-stimulatory behavior by repeating certain sounds and movements unconsciously. There are many different examples, including lip biting, rocking back and forth, humming, teeth grinding, or chewing gum.
Meltdowns happen when autistic children and teenagers feel completely overwhelmed, lose control of their behaviour, and find it very hard to calm themselves. Meltdowns are a sign of distress. Meltdowns might include behaviour like rocking, crying, hitting or withdrawing.
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.
Sensory overload is when your five senses — sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste — take in more information than your brain can process. When your brain is overwhelmed by this input, it enters fight, flight, or freeze mode in response to what feels like a crisis, making you feel unsafe or even panicky.
Signs your child may have SPD
Oversensitivity to pain, temperature, and touch; experiencing strong reactions when feeling touched. Difficulty transitioning from one activity to another. Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Easily distracted by continuous, loud sounds.