#SIGNS OF AUTISM MELTDOWN HOW TO#

Then I will flee, or meltdown, or shut down. Often those things are going to be triggered by either a sensory situation, a last minute change to my routine, some kind of emotional situation, or some thing that might seem little to someone else, but it is just the final straw to a lot of straws that have been dropped upon me that day, it all becomes too much, and it’s more than I can take. If I feel as, as I am in a position where I cannot fight, or defend myself, or flee and get away, I may shut down, and implode in on myself, and freeze.įight, flight, freeze: falling on the floor, curling up in a ball, and becoming stuck in a silent little mess, on the floor, frozen or shut down… because, once again, that overwhelming anxiety adrenaline, is pumping through my body.

It is to flee, and to run away… but sometimes when I am unable to get away from other people, or the situation that I am in, or event that has triggered my meltdown, then I will go from flee to fight, and have a meltdown, where I may become air quotes, “combative”, “aggressive”, “defensive” -because I feel as if I am in danger, and cannot flee and get away from the danger, so then it switches to “defend myself and fight”. Often, when that response is triggered in me, my first instinct is not to fight, not to melt down. When I have a meltdown that fight, or flight, flee, response is triggered.

It is a very similar situation, of having that overwhelming feeling and being out of control. However, with a meltdown, or a sensory overload, as an Autistic Person, often those things will have a specific trigger. This panic attack may be triggered by something, but sometimes it just “poof” hits you. For example, with a panic attack, you have the adrenaline, fight flight response has been triggered in your body, and all of a sudden you think you are going to possibly be in real harm… for, potentially, no real reason whatsoever. If you would like to know more, please do stay tuned.įirst and foremost, I would love for everyone to understand that meltdowns are, in fact, a neurological event, not unlike a seizure, or a panic attack.Īctually, as someone who has both seizures and panic attacks, I can say meltdowns are quite similar to both these things.

#SIGNS OF AUTISM MELTDOWN HOW TO#

This week, I’m going to be talking about Autistic meltdowns, and how to recognize Autistic meltdowns, and some signs of Autistic meltdowns, so that hopefully you can learn to predict them, and notice when they’re happening, so that you can stop the meltdown, or get to someplace safe before it’s too late if you or someone you care about is having a meltdown. Since finding out I’m Autistic, one of the most important things, that has transformational in my own life, has been learning to recognize meltdowns, shutdowns, and other types of overload, as they’re happening, before they happen, before I get to the point of no return.

Throughout my entire life, even before knowing I was Autistic, I have experienced Autistic meltdowns, shutdowns, and other types of overload and overwhelm. I’m an Autistic adult, but I didn’t find out I was Autistic until I was 29 years old. The words “Signs of Autistic Meltdowns” floats in front of them in pale teal and green letters. ID: Lyric, a pale skinned nonbinary person with short green, teal, purple, pink, orange, and yellow hair with shaved sides and jet black roots is sitting behind a white microphone in an RV with dark wood panel walls.

Signs of autism meltdown