Emmett’s having a really rough day.  I’m so worn out already and they’ve only been home a few hours. 

What I’ve noticed over my decade and a half of Autism parenting, is that the thing that causes overstimulation doesn’t have to be a bad thing. 

Overstimulation is one of the leading causes of meltdowns. 

I think that people assume that overstimulation is caused by unpleasant situations that a child can’t cope with. 

While there is some truth to that assumption, it’s only half true. 

The reality is that any situation can lead to overstimulation and meltdowns. Sure, negative or stressful experiences can certainly be overstimulating but so can a trip to the movies or a friend’s birthday party.  For that matter, a kid can be overstimulated by their very own birthday party. 

I can always tell when Emmett is dealing with overstimulation because I can see it in his face. 

Maybe he had too much fun or perhaps he was exposed to loud noises, bright lights or anything else that produced massive amounts of sensory input. 

For that matter, it could be something good as simple as being excited about spending the night at his grandparents. 

Overstimulation is not always easy or even possible to avoid.

The only thing that helps Emmett when he’s like this is to give him a physical outlet like, bouncing on the trampoline, walking the steps at the park or even bouncing on his bed. 

It helps to ground him and he subsequently feels better. 

That was my goal when taking the boys to the park today.  It didn’t happen to work this time and Emmett was extremely difficult but he’s finally doing a little better having a 45 minute meltdown. 

He purged and sometimes that’s all he can do…