In Jennifer's story about her son Korbin she mentioned the
struggle she had in dealing with the looks, comments and lack of
understanding about her son's behaviour, particularly when he
has a "meltdown." What is a meltdown? A meltdown can look like a
tantrum. When a child with Autism is having a meltdown they may:
- scream or yell - fall to the ground and roll/kick - rock back
and forth - hit and kick - flap their hands - freeze/become
immobile What can cause a meltdown? A meltdown can be caused by
a range of things that a child with Autism may struggle to cope
with. However, one of the key issues that can lead to a meltdown
is sensory sensitivities. As Autism Spectrum Australia (ASPECT)
state, children with Autism can be over or undersensitive to the
tastes, sights, touch and sounds that are part of our everyday
life. The increase in unfamiliar sounds and sights in a public
place can become overwhelming, and the experience so painful for
the child, that they can only get relief in the same way any
other chil