This past weekend, Becca had a great day at home. We had our usual Sensory Saturday where we painted, baked, built, and danced. Then, she climbed on her therapy ball. She started doing jumping jacks and stretching, so I put on "Welcome to Ball World" by Pinkfong. She started bouncing and smiling - but halfway through, suddenly and without warning, she started crying. Bawling her eyes out. She continued to bounce on the ball, but the bounce became frantic and I had to pull her off so that she wouldn't hurt herself.
It was like somebody had flipped a switch and she suddenly went from jumping and laughing to uncomfortable and anxious. She had become overstimulated - and I had to reduce the amount of sensory input quickly if I wanted to avoid a sensory meltdown.
Sensory meltdowns look a lot like temper tantrums, but they are caused by sensory overload. They cannot be disciplined away, and no amount of "tough love" will get them to stop. Addressing sensory meltdowns requires understanding what triggers them and creating an environment where they can be effectively managed or avoided.
In Becca's case, I removed her from her therapy ball and turned off all the lights. I turned down the television and brought her some water. I walked her over the couch with her comfort blanket and sat on the other couch adjacent to her, but not directly next to her. She relaxed and once she was regulated, she went back to her therapy ball to bounce some more. Meltdown avoided. Crisis averted.
Autism awareness has been great in educating people about the fact that everyone has sensory needs. It has even been great in that people are thinking more about how to create sensory-friendly spaces for people who have sensory sensitivities. However, there is a misconception that messy, loud, flashy, tactile activities are all that is needed to provide a sensory-friendly space. Not so. If all you have are messy, loud, tactile, flashy and noisy, you are going to create an environment that is ripe for overstimulation - where there is so much input that the environment is actually uncomfortable. When overstimulated, an Autistic individual might shut down, might scream or cry, might engage in self-harm, might try to escape or run away, might cover their ears. They might even make certain noises or very loud vocalizations, especially if they are unable to express themselves verbally. These are signs that you might need to adjust the environment.
Imagine trying to sleep in a space with all of the televisions on different programs, all playing at the same time, while music goes in the background, and there are people talking and laughing, and toys are flashing and singing, and a baby is crying on top of all of that. Imagine the frustration and the anxiety you would feel. Now imagine that the people in the room can sense your frustration so they all crowd around you to calm you, and they start hugging you, and stroking your hair, and singing to you. And all you want is for everyone to go away and leave you alone so that you can relax and sleep. I imagine this to come close to describing the frustration that Becca feels when there is too much going on around her.
The best way to address overstimulation is to calm the environment. Turn off lights. Turn off the televisions. Keep your voices down. Pay attention to the overstimulated person that he or she doesn't do anything that would hurt themselves, but don't be so on top of the person that you are adding to their stress. And try to do all of that before the person becomes inconsolable - because once that happens, you've made the transition from overstimulation to full-blown sensory meltdown.
When trying to plan activities or spaces for individuals with sensory sensitivities, it is important to factor in the fact that too many activities at once can overstimulate them. So plan frequent breaks, completely finish one activity and clean up before transitioning to the next one, and work in calming activities into your overall plan. Giving the child warning or timing for how long they will engage in a certain activity is also helpful too - let them in on the plan before you actually engage them. A visual schedule might be helpful to ensure that they understand the various activities planned - and it will help with transition between activities too.
You may also want to invest in products that help to soothe and calm. Becca never leaves home without her noise-canceling headphones, and there are weighted blankets and vests for those kids who, like Becca, enjoy deep pressure massages and hugs. Some smells might also serve to soothe, so using essential oils in a diffuser with lavender or chamomile is also a good option. We have a sensory light that turns Becca's bedroom into the evening sky. It works wonders to calm her down. Everybody is different - so find those things that soothe your child and have them on standby as an overstimulation toolkit.
The key is to understand that too much of a good thing - the flashy, the musical, the tactile, the messy and slimy - can ACTUALLY be too much. So pace yourself, and most importantly, pay attention to the child. Follow their lead, and respond accordingly. Do not force them to engage if they are unwilling to. Becca, for instance, is the expert in what she needs and is a master of self-regulation. When she needs a break, she steps away and indicates to me that she needs to be alone for a while to recharge. So I give her the space - and when she is ready to re-engage she emerges from her room like a boss. So follow their lead! They are the experts in what they need. We are just here to guide them there.
Check out my other blog posts relating to the sensory, overstimulation and meltdowns! Autistic Meltdown or Temper Tantrum? August 30, 2024
Getting Started with Visual Schedules November 9, 2024
Sensory Seeking v. Sensory Avoiding Behaviors February 8, 2025
