There is emotion at the starting line, but a meltdown is a physical phenomenon: The racing heart. Whatever position I’ve ended up in is one that’s making me feel safe. Don’t try to pick me up, move me, or get me to change position. When you stop, that feeling–the utter relief, the exhaustion, the desperate need for air, the way you gulp it in, your whole body focused on expanding and contracting your lungs–that’s what crying feels like during a meltdown. Imagine running as far as you can, as fast as you can. There is an intense pressure in my head, suppressing the initiation of speech, suppressing the formation of language.Ī shutdown is a meltdown that never reached threshold level. A live wire throwing off electricity, charging the night air.Ĭomplex speech feels impossible. It feels like my whole body is thrumming, humming, singing, quivering. It feels like nothing will ever be right again. It feels like a rubber band pulled to the snapping point. Some of my favorite quotes from this post are: In an article titled “ Anatomy of a Meltdown,” a woman with Asperger’s shares her experience of having a meltdown as an adult. After ruling out immediate medical threats, our tendency is to either try to apply logic to the situation or treat the person as combative and non-compliant.Īs always, safety comes first! But I think understanding what meltdowns are like for those experiencing them can give us critical insight so we can help. If interrupted, it will likely start all over again in a few minutes.Īpproaching an adult that is unable to speak, potentially hurting themselves or others (such as head banging), trying to flee or being in an odd physical position can be very confusing to a first responder. It’s not an emotional outburst or behavior issue, it is a physiological occurrence that must run its course. And once it starts, there’s no going back for the person experiencing it. Meltdowns typically go one of two ways: explosion or implosion. There is also an increased tendency to flee from the situation in attempt to retreat into safety.Įarly signs are helpful to know, but the reality is, by the time we as responders are called to a scene, a meltdown will most likely be in full swing. This is very dangerous because a person experiencing a meltdown is no longer aware of their surroundings, and they may be unable to spot danger. The early signs of a meltdown may include stuttering or difficulty answering questions, loss of eye contact and the ability to focus, increased stimming, and eventually a complete shutdown of speech and communication. As an adult, meltdowns can also occur from sudden change, not getting understandable answers to a question or being caught off guard. My co-trainer, Austin, tells me that he has developed coping methods to deal with sensory overwhelm in public places (note: the sensory issues do not go away, he’s learned to manage them or have an exit strategy). Meltdowns occur most frequently in autistic children due to an overwhelming sensory environment. In fact, the situation can be even more complicated and dangerous when responding to a call involving an adult experiencing a meltdown, especially if they have become nonverbal in the midst of it, which is common. Yes, I talk about the differences between a meltdown and a tantrum – which is much needed information – but meltdowns are very real occurrences for adults on the spectrum as well. Often when I begin one of my autism training classes for public safety professionals I have to quickly debunk the myth that autism is a “kid” thing.
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