From Anxiety to Meltdown: How Individuals on the Autism Spectrum Deal with Anxiety, Experience Meltdowns, Manifest Tantrums, and How You Can Intervene Effectively

Cover......Page 1
Contents
......Page 7
Introduction......Page 13
Seeing the World Through Our Eyes......Page 17
Is autism part of an evolutionary process?......Page 19
The importance of scripts......Page 21
Heightened senses impact our ability to navigate social settings......Page 22
Growing up undiagnosed with autism......Page 26
“Scripting”: the golden rule in autism......Page 28
Going off script......Page 29
Hating spontaneity......Page 34
Dealing with going off script......Page 35
Neurological makeup similar to certain animal species......Page 39
Difficulty making eye contact......Page 40
Reason 1: sensory integration......Page 41
Reason 2: peripheral versus central vision......Page 43
Reason 3: a non aggressive gesture......Page 47
Light touch interpreted as aversive......Page 48
The fight or flight response......Page 49
A prehistoric carry over......Page 50
1. The onset of the “freeze” response......Page 51
2. The release of adrenaline......Page 53
3. Loss of cognitive awareness......Page 54
4. The danger of injury......Page 55
The “freeze” response......Page 56
My personal experience with the freeze response......Page 58
How Anxiety Impacts Our Cognitive Abilities......Page 61
The stress of navigating through the simple task of shopping......Page 62
Societal inconsistencies......Page 68
A world of absolutes: a major reason for anxiety......Page 70
What are we “feeling”?......Page 72
The fear of unpredictability......Page 76
Stimming defuses rising anxiety levels......Page 78
Stimming done solely out of habit......Page 81
The child who keeps badgering you with questions they already know the answer to......Page 82
Should we use medication to help reduce anxiety levels in individuals with autism?......Page 83
Rituals and Routines: A Natural Defense for Anxiety......Page 87
The need for predictability......Page 89
How a ritual differs from a routine......Page 91
Common sense, OCD, or a ritual?......Page 92
Minor changes that could create anxiety, leading to new rituals at home or school......Page 95
Interrupting routines......Page 96
Non functional routines established unintentionally......Page 97
Avoiding the use of immediate tangible rewards......Page 98
Modify a routine gradually......Page 99
Replacing a non functional routine......Page 100
Unforeseen interruptions in a routine......Page 102
The influence of stress on routines and rituals......Page 104
A personal example of how a non functional routine was calming......Page 105
Never interfere with a ritual or routine......Page 107
Not all individuals will experience meltdowns......Page 109
Meltdowns are not tantrums......Page 110
How I developed my interest in creating meltdown interventions......Page 111
What causes a meltdown?......Page 114
Going off script: a leading cause of meltdowns and catastrophic reactions......Page 115
Not receiving comprehendible answers: another major source of meltdowns......Page 116
Cognitive meltdowns......Page 117
Cognitive overload and meltdowns......Page 118
Too much choice causing a meltdown......Page 119
Bolting or running away during a meltdown......Page 121
Witnessing self injurious behavior during a meltdown......Page 122
The physiological response of the body during a meltdown......Page 123
Common warning signs and behaviors indicating increasing anxiety, leading to a meltdown......Page 125
The “freeze” response heralds an impending meltdown......Page 126
Immediately after the highly excitable part of the meltdown phase......Page 128
Summary: phases of a cognitive meltdown......Page 129
Sensory meltdowns......Page 130
Accepting sensory limits......Page 132
Summary: sensory meltdowns......Page 133
Shut down responses: the other extreme of a meltdown phase......Page 134
The aftermath of a meltdown: intense feelings of remorse, embarrassment, and shame......Page 135
How Does a Tantrum Differ from a Meltdown?......Page 137
The golden rule in meltdowns and tantrums......Page 138
Distinguishing a meltdown from a tantrum: a checklist......Page 142
Controlling established tantrums......Page 144
How to handle a tantrum......Page 145
A word of caution......Page 147
Aggressive or self injurious behavior during a tantrum......Page 148
Intervening successfully......Page 150
How to test for a tantrum in the verbal individual......Page 151
How to test for a tantrum in the non verbal individual......Page 152
Utilizing special interests and/or objects to test for a tantrum......Page 153
Non social tendencies......Page 154
Instant gratification as a potential source of tantrums......Page 156
Using a token system as an effective alternative......Page 157
Today’s society as a saboteur of behavioral interventions......Page 158
Societal distractions as a sign of the times......Page 159
A ray of hope......Page 161
Novel situations: the number one meltdown trigger......Page 163
Airports: my personal nemesis......Page 164
Back up scripts or contingency plans: the main strategy for novel situations......Page 166
A case in point......Page 167
Multiple back up or contingency plans are beneficial......Page 168
Communicating back up plans to the severely autistic or non verbal population......Page 169
Back up plans for the verbal and high functioning population......Page 170
Sensory issues compounding the stress of a novel situation: a classic example......Page 171
Strategies to prevent a meltdown in this complicated novel situation......Page 173
Transitions: another major contributor to meltdown......Page 174
Transitioning from class to class......Page 175
Transitioning to a different subject......Page 176
Substitute teachers as a transition issue......Page 178
Other transitions that can cause a meltdown......Page 179
Moving from one home to another......Page 180
Transitions revolving around parental status......Page 181
Guidelines for parental status transitions......Page 182
First time visits to the dentist or doctor......Page 183
Other triggers for meltdowns......Page 184
Trying to participate in a group conversation......Page 185
Time limits as a source for catastrophic reactions......Page 186
Being rushed or hurried to do anything......Page 187
Meltdown and catastrophic reaction triggers......Page 188
Hormonal influences and meltdowns......Page 190
Miscommunications are just as prevalent in the non verbal population......Page 193
1. A large factual knowledge base......Page 194
Dealing with fears by acquiring facts......Page 195
A teen obsessed with the macabre: a communication misinterpretation......Page 197
Factual exchanges are mentally stimulating......Page 200
2. Autistic individuals are more comfortable with “question and answer” communication......Page 201
Communication as a main source of cognitive overload......Page 202
Requests that imply ability and not a command......Page 203
Literal phrases involving a timeframe meant to be interpreted as non specific......Page 204
The overuse of binding words that aren’t taken seriously......Page 205
A broken promise......Page 208
Vague time references that may elicit an extreme anxiety response......Page 210
Vague undefined open ended questions......Page 211
Adding a yes or no, as well as adding a time reference, clarifies your question......Page 213
Why does the word “No” cause a meltdown?......Page 214
Meltdown Interventions......Page 217
1. Safety of all involved is paramount......Page 218
Self injurious behaviors and safety......Page 220
2. Reducing the stimulation level......Page 222
How you should communicate to a person in a meltdown......Page 223
3. Addressing the problem at hand......Page 224
When there are no alternative solutions......Page 225
Autistic emergency tool kits for reducing the anxiety associated with impending meltdowns......Page 226
Early recognition of signs of anxiety is the best strategy for preventing meltdowns......Page 229
Physical movement as a calming tool for the verbal and non verbal individual......Page 230
Sensory triggers at crowded gatherings that are best avoided by not going there......Page 231
A final suggestion: learning to accept meltdowns as just part of who you are......Page 233
Getting the wind knocked out of my sail......Page 234