Meltdown Archives - The Autism Dad

It’s already a rough morning

I haven't even left yet and we're already off to a rough start. Gavin's having a difficult morning and I'm frustrated. I sometimes fail to maintain perspective and it's something I need to work on. Gavin has come so far and while he does pretty well in everyday life, especially in a relatively controlled environment, things quickly unravel when he gets emotional. He just has a hard time dealing with emotions. This morning he started to use the stove without asking. Yes, I know he's 22 years old, and does a good job, he needs to ask so that I'm aware he's using it and can intervene if need be. He can be forgetful and I need to keep tabs on things like using the stove or oven. There's only…

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March 26, 2022

Don’t count your blessings before they put their pants on

I'm going to keep this short because I'm already spent and it's not even lunchtime. Unfortunately, this morning didn't quite go as planned when it came to Emmett and his brand new pants. In fact, it went the opposite of who I was hoping it would go. Emmett woke up really early and that doesn't usually bode well for his limited ability to cope with the world around him. I ended on the couch last night because my allergies were really bad and I couldn't stop sneezing. Rather than keep Lizze awake, I moved downstairs. I woke up to Emmett not being dressed for school and already in distress over the fact that he was going to have to wear his new pants. They fit great while at the store…

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January 23, 2018

Elliott / Emmett John / Meltdowns / My thoughts / School

A massive meltdown set the tone for the entire day and that sucks

It's been one of those days where I'm not sure how we've made it this far. lol For the first time in awhile, Emmett almost didn't make it to school because of sensory processing issues. Those issues were of course related to his clothes. Truthfully, I don't think he was feeling well. He was complaining of a headache and tummyache but I don't know if that was behind his struggles or just influencing them. By the time we worked through it, we were an hour late to school and they had missed breakfast. We stopped by McDonald's on the way so the boys could get something to eat before dropping them off at school. Emmett was hanging on by a thread already but when McDonald's screwed up his order not…

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January 17, 2018

Autism / Emmett John / Meltdowns / My thoughts

Why a #meltdown kept my son home from school today

Emmett was in rare form this morning. He began melting down the moment he woke up. I'd say he woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but I don't think it was that simple. I've spoken many times about my understanding of Emmett and meltdowns. Emmett is extremely sensory driven, very easily overstimulated. He spends a good deal of time, looking for stimulation his body needs to know where he physically exists in time and space. It appears that Emmett had a really good time at the zoo yesterday, with his school. It also appears to have drained his resources. When his resources are drained, he doesn't cope well with anything, and today was one of those days. As far as Emmett is concerned, his day was shot…

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April 28, 2017

Emmett John / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts / Sensory / Shoes and Socks / YouTube Video

The heartbreaking reality of sensory processing disorder (video)

I've been talking about sensory issues in regards to my kids for years. The story always seems to revolve around shoes, socks, and school, especially in Emmett's case. Almost every single morning, we spend upwards of an hour or more, trying to help Emmett tolerate his shoes and socks. There are times that we succeed in overcoming these obstacles and there are days in which we don't even come close. The examples I've given have mostly revolved around Emmett missing school because he can't tolerate his shoes and socks. No matter how many times I've tried to explain that Emmett's not trying to get out of going to school, there's always that doubt in people's mind because it seems like getting to stay home is his ultimate goal. As I've…

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March 5, 2017

Emmett John / Meltdowns / My thoughts

Starting the day with a massive meltdown

Massive Meltdown is the buzz phrase for today. Emmett has been up since about 3 am. I don't know exactly why he woke up but he did and was basically up for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, that usually means that his resources for dealing with the next day will be sorely lacking, making life more challenging for him. True to form, Emmett didn't have a good morning and could not cope with his socks. Overnight we received a couple inches of snow making his flip flops no longer an option. I worked with him for twenty minutes without success. Lizze picked up where I left off and put in another twenty minutes, only she was eventually successful in getting him to tolerate both his shoes and his socks.…

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January 27, 2017