During this situation, the person temporarily loses control of their behavior, even if they’ve had ABA training with a healthcare professional. This loss of control can be expressed verbally (e.g., shouting, screaming, or crying),?physically?(e.g., kicking, lashing out, or biting), or in both ways.
If the person you support has meltdowns, you’ll need to find out what to do. At EDS Learning Institute, we offer healthcare training programs and certifications that develop our students’ skills in delivering unmatched services to people with autism. Here are simple tips for responding to a meltdown:
- Create a quiet, safe space.
If you’re outdoors, ask people to move along and not to stare. When you’re at home, make sure to turn off loud music and turn down bright lights. Whatever you can think of to reduce the information overload, try it. - Using sensory aids, such as headphones or fidget toys, can also help.
These items could help someone who is becoming agitated. - The final tip from our learning institute is to give them some time.
Remember that it can take a while to recover from a meltdown.
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