Lorrie
Judy
Endow, MSW
Meltdown
behavior is quite common for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders. And, indeed,
the most frequently asked question by parents and educators is: “What do I do
when my child has meltdowns?”
When
the meltdown is occurring, the best reaction is to ensure the safety of all
concerned. Know that explosive behavior is not planned but instead is most
often caused by subtle and perplexing triggers. When the behavior happens,
everyone in its path feels pain, especially the child.
Stages
of Explosive Behavior
So,
what exactly is explosive behavior? In my book Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and
Intervention for Individuals with Autism Spectrum (Endow, 2009), explosive
behavior is defined as having four distinct stages, followed by a clearly
defined recovery period. In addition, the physiological fight/flight mechanism
is triggered immediately prior to the explosion.
In
this model, the four stages of explosive behavior are the same for all
experiencing explosive behavior and are depicted by four train cars called
Starting Out, Picking Up Steam, Point of No Return, and Explosion. The idea is
to try to prevent the train cars from hooking up because when they do we have a
runaway train that ends in explosion.
Working
backwards, the Explosion is the stage where the meltdown behavior is evident.
Immediately prior to this is the Point of No Return, which is exactly what it
implies -- there is no going back from the meltdown because this stage is where
the fight/flight response is triggered. The pupils dilate, and breathing and heart
rates increase. Physiologically, our bodies respond as if our very lives are at
stake, and we automatically behave accordingly: We fight for our lives. It is
entirely impossible to reason with anyone in this survival mode. As soon as you
see the child’s identified Point of No Return behavior you can know the
Explosion is coming and need to do your best to quickly create and maintain a
safe environment.
The
place to impact explosive behavior is ahead of when it occurs. In the Starting
Out phase, whispers of behaviors are evident. The Picking Up Steam phase is
just that—the whispers become louder. Though you can learn to successfully
intervene at these stages, the most effective way to manage explosive behavior
is proactively, before the whispers even start.
Strategies
to Prevent Meltdowns Before They Start
An
individual mix of three major supports and interventions is usually most
effective in preventing the first stage of meltdown behavior from starting.
These three major supports include proactive use of a sensory diet to maintain
optimal sensory regulation, visual supports, and managing emotions that are too
big (Endow, 2011).
People
with AS usually do not have sensory systems that automatically regulate;
instead, they must discover how to keep themselves regulated. This is most
often accomplished by employing a sensory diet. A sensory diet for a person
with autism is like insulin for a person with diabetes. It is easy to
understand that a person with diabetes has a pancreas that is unable to
regulate insulin effectively. We can measure blood sugar and know the exact
state of affairs, and from there figure out how much insulin the person needs.
Sensory
Diet: Unfortunately, medical science does not allow us to take a blood sample
to measure sensory dysregulation. However, we can figure out and employ a
sensory diet to prevent dysregulation, and just like insulin prevents serious
consequences for a diabetic, a sensory diet prevents serious troubles for an
individual with ASD. As an adult with autism, I spend time every day on sensory
integration activities in order to be able to function well in my everyday
life. A sensory diet employed proactively goes a long way in preventing the
Starting Out stage of explosive behavior from ever occurring (Brack, 2004).
Visual
Supports: Another crucial area of support to put in place proactively is that
of visual supports. As an autistic, I can tell you the saying “A picture is
worth a thousand words” is the monumental truth. Although each person with ASD
has a unique experience, processing written and spoken words is not considered
by most of us to be our “first language.” For me, the meaning I get from spoken
words can drop out entirely when I am under stress, my sensory system is
dysregulated or my felt emotions are too big. Visual supports can be anything
that shows rather than tells. Visual schedules are very commonly used
successfully with many individuals with ASD. Having a clear way to show
beginnings and endings to the activities depicted on the visual schedule can
support smooth transitions, thus keeping a meltdown at bay. For maximum
effectiveness, visual supports need to be in place proactively rather than
waiting until behavior unravels to pull them out.
Managing
Felt Emotions: A third area in which many with ASD need proactive support is in
managing felt emotions. Most often, felt feelings are way too big for the
situation. An example in my life is when I discover the grocery store is out of
a specific item; I get a visceral reaction very similar to the horror I felt
when first hearing about the 9/11 tragedy. I know cognitively the two events
have no comparison and, yet, my visceral reaction is present and I need to
consciously bring my too big feelings down to something more workable in the immediate
situation. Managing felt emotions does not come automatically, but can be
learned over time with systematic instruction and visual supports such as The
Incredible 5-Point Scale (Buron & Curtis, 2004).
The
good news is that explosive behavior can be positively impacted. With proactive
supports, explosive behavior can be outsmarted so individuals with ASD can move
on to living purposeful and self-fulfilling lives.
References
Brack,
J.C. (2004). Learn to Move, Move to Learn! Sensorimotor Early Childhood
Activity Themes. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.
Buron,
K.D., & Curtis, M. (2004). The Incredible 5-Point Scale. Shawnee Mission,
KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.
Endow,
J. (2009). Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and
Intervention for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission,
KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.
Endow,
J. (2011). Practical Strategies for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to
Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger
Publishing Company.
First
printed on Education.com with permission of the Autism Society.
http://www.education.com/reference/article/explosive-behavior-asperger-syndrome
Judy Endow, MSW is an author and
international speaker on a variety of autism-related topics, is part of the
Wisconsin DPI Statewide Autism Training Team along with being part of Autistic
Global Initiative (AGI). She is a board member of both the Autism Society of
America, Wisconsin Chapter and the Autism National Committee.
Judy maintains a private practice in Madison, Wisconsin,
providing consultation for families, school districts and other agencies.
Besides having autism herself, she is the parent of three now grown sons, one
of whom is on the autism spectrum.
In her spare time Judy enjoys expressing her thoughts and ideas
by creating one-of-a-kind hand-built pottery sculptures and painting with
acrylics. Please visit www.judyendow.com for more information, to view artwork
and to read blogs.
Her first
book, Making Lemonade, Hints for Autism's Helpers (CBR Press,
2006), shows how Judy has used the lemons of her autism to "make
lemonade" in her own life. Paper Words, Discovering and Living
with My Autism (AAPC Publishing, 2009) was 2010 International Book
Award Finalist in Autobiographies/Memoirs.
Judy has also
received the 2010 Autism Society Media Excellence Award for her DVD The
Power of Words: How we talk about people with autism spectrum disorders
matters! (AAPC Publishing, 2009). In addition, she has authored the
annual Hidden Curriculum Calendar for Older Adolescents and Adults (AAPC
Publishing 2009, 2010).
In addition, Judy
has authored Outsmarting Explosive Behavior, A Visual System of Support
and Intervention for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (AAPC
Publishing, 2009 which is currently Book of the Week and on sale!) Please join Judy Endow in celebrating her being "Author of the Week"!; Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With
Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go (AAPC Publishing,
2011); and Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic
Adult (AAPC Publishing, 2012).
No comments:
Post a Comment