Blog #145: How to Handle Holiday Meltdowns

Take a look at this picture of Flurry Heart, Twilight Sparkle’s niece from “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” What do you see here?

You see a character who is red in the face and throwing a tantrum, because she is having trouble communicating to her aunt about something. Flurry Heart cannot talk and must resort to other ways of communicating her feelings.

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This is especially true around this time of year with the holidays and all. I talked briefly about this in some of my past blogs covering the holidays, but I wanted to touch base again with a refresher that children who are neurodiverse or disabled will sometimes have a meltdown during this time of year, or any time of year for that matter.

The problem is that neurodiverse children and adults will display behaviors that parents or even other neurotypicals around them will interpret for something else. This is often the case with:

1. Excessive Activity

2. Presents and Gift Giving

3. Gatherings of Family and Friends

4. Overstimulation in General

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Now, there are some families out there who will see things as they see fit and be in denial about their child’s behavior. When we neurodiverse individuals act out, we are trying to communicate our feelings to you but not in the traditional sense. Among the things we are trying to communicate with you are:

1. We need a sensory break

2. Our routines have been disrupted

3. I’m feeling anxious

4. We can’t describe what is on our minds.

In the past, I talked about department store Santas, holiday music, christmas cards and shopping during the holidays, etc. because all these are what contributes to a neurodiverse individual struggling during the holidays. Some families may enjoy these traditions, but there are going to be those who do not.

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Now, as today is Christmas Eve, I wanted to strongly re-empathize the importance of being there for our neurodiverse loved ones today and especially tomorrow. If your neurodiverse loved ones need a break from activity, then you must accommodate that desire.

Remember, the holiday isn’t about you, but about others around you and those may be of the neurodiverse variety. If you have to make things easier for your neurodiverse loved one, then you need to make things easier for them whether you like it or not.

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Catch you all later and to all those who celebrate, Merry Christmas!!

#Autism #Christmas #Neurodiversity