It's a well-known fact that children with Asperger's syndrome have the occasional meltdown. It is usually triggered by things which may perplex the normal mind but makes perfect sense to the child with aspergers. Meltdowns aren't planned, but when they happen everybody that is involved with calming down the kid feels the pain of the meltdown in their own way. When a meltdown starts the first thing you must do is make sure that everybody around the kid with aspergers and the kid remains safe until the end.
Professionals that have studied the meltdowns of children with aspergers have defined 4 distinct stages that happen that are usually followed by a recovery period. Stage one is the 'starting out' stage, where you as a parent would start to hear whispers of a meltdown coming on.
Stage two is the 'picking up steam' stage, where it begins to become evident which a meltdown is about to occur. Stage 3 is the 'point of no return' stage, where the child's flight reaction kicks in. Its normally here which reasoning will become impossible with the kid and you have to let nature takes it's course. Stage four is the 'explosion' stage and the child is in full meltdown.
To help stop meltdowns in children with Asperger's before it happens, you can put your kid on a sensory diet.
This diet would aid prevent the very first stage of a kid's meltdown from even starting, thereby preventing the meltdown. You can start out by employing a sensory integration session with your kid every day, getting ideas on how to regulate your child's sensory input from his or her doctor, school counselor, or special education teacher. When used proactively this is a good, solid start in stopping a meltdown.
The next thing you have to work with your child with aspergers on is visual supports. By giving them images to help them understand cause and effect, you can aid make sensory transitions smoother and keep triggers at bay. Visual supports used on a habitual schedule with sensory integration will help your child remain in control. They need to be used before the triggers are released in your kid and the meltdown starts.
The last thing which you'll have to do is assist your child with aspergers to manage their emotions. Since we do not understand what triggers a meltdown, you need to sit and talk with your child about how they feel when the meltdown begins and what they were thinking about. It takes time to assist a kid with aspergers learn to cope with emotions that are too big for them, but it could be done.
Children with aspergers and their families don't have to meltdown any longer. With proactive work on sensory integration, visual supports and emotion management, your kid with aspergers can stop many meltdowns.
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