![]() ![]() As we focus on the challenges of working with individuals with autism, imagine the frustration of having autism. They truly feel their environment is out of their control and may not have any other way to communicate their fear and frustration. Imagine the energy expended and the amount of stress and emotion the patient has felt during this meltdown. If you feel helpless for the hour this individual is on your schedule, imagine the energy it requires to live with a disabled child every single day. They will need compassion, patience and support. The parent/caregiver will feel a great deal of strife and grief and maybe even embarrassment. While a meltdown can be frustrating for the dental provider as it interrupts treatment, potentially scares other patients or causes the clinician to run late, take time to consider the feelings of the other party. ![]() Before treating your patients with autism, it is the clinician’s responsibility to find out if the patient has meltdowns, what triggers them and what signs the patient will give (if any) that a meltdown is about to occur (see Appendix A for a worksheet to be completed prior to treatment). ![]() There are potentially many triggers in the dental environment for meltdowns. However, during a meltdown, the child has lost complete control and awareness and continues engaging in the meltdown behavior (indicating that the cookie being offered is no longer relevant). If this were a tantrum, giving the cookie would normally end the tantrum. For a simple example, the child wants a cookie (which was not permitted), a meltdown occurs and in an attempt to “make it stop” the parent offers the cookie. The meltdown might occur from a desire not being met or even inability to adapt to a change in the environment however, once a certain point is reached in the meltdown, nothing will be able to satisfy the child until the situation is over. No one feels in control during a meltdown. Meltdowns seem to continue as if having their own power and will taper off slowly. They will not consider their own safety and stand at risk of putting themselves in danger. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an. In a meltdown, the child with autism does not look nor care if anyone is reacting to them. Tantrums achieve a certain goal and once that goal is reached all returns to normal almost as quickly as it began. When a child has a tantrum they will look around ever so often to see if their tantrum is getting any attention or reaction.Ī tantruming child typically avoids hurting themselves.Ī tantruming child will try to manipulate the situation to their benefit. Unlike typical temper tantrums, autism challenging behaviors (also referred to as meltdowns) arent naughty behavior. The public often verbally abuses families with autism because what others see as a “bratty” child that needs discipline may actually be the child desperately struggling with their environment. Recognize the difference between a meltdown and a tantrum. ![]()
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