How to Help a Family With a Child in a Meltdown
Years ago, I spent time writing deep into the night to share my feelings about the journey we faced with autism. For those who know us now, you wouldn't expect that there have been times where I sat in Target, Seraphina cradled in my arms as she flailed about having a meltdown because of a jar falling off a shelf or some other oddity I couldn't make sense of. One particular time I was in the bread aisle, and something startled her. Within seconds, her body began to shiver, and her head flipped back hitting the plastic on the cart, she writhed as if she was in significant pain. Her little purple coat went flying, she shimmied down and found herself out of her seatbelt and on the floor. Within seconds, I met her there, bringing her in as her arms and legs flailed. She clawed at my face and pulled my hair. Nothing could calm her. Some of my other kids were with me and by this time knew we had to let her meltdown happened for her body to come back to regulation. As this went on,...