Your child can become overloaded if they have to process too much sensory information.
This can also happen in response to demands. These demands may include:
- social demands, such as speaking in front of a class, talking to unfamiliar people or being forced to make eye contact
- task demands, such as having to do something difficult, unfamiliar or that they are not sure how to do
- environmental demands, like being in busy spaces around large groups of people
- sitting still for too long
- past experiences, like remembering an unpleasant experience that happened last time in this setting or with this person
Fight, flight or freeze
Sensory overload or demands can cause a fight, flight or freeze response.
This can include physical reactions such as:
- increased heart rate
- feeling flushed
- sweating
- changes to breathing
- changes in vision
What a meltdown or shutdown can look like
When someone becomes overloaded, survival mode takes over
When a meltdown takes place your child might be:
- shouting, screaming, crying
- hitting out or biting
- running away
- hurting themselves
When a shutdown happens your child might be:
- closing down and withdrawing
- not speaking
- unable to follow instructions
Both shutdowns and meltdowns are a sign of extreme distress.
How to support someone having a meltdown or shutdown
You can help support your child having a meltdown or shutdown by:
- making sure they are in a space they cannot hurt themselves
- give them time and space
- reducing sensory input by lowering the lights or reducing noise
- avoiding talking a lot
- keeping movements slow and using a calm voice
- offering a distraction as they start to calm such as a snack or a drink
What the coke bottle effect is
The coke bottle effect can help us to understand how some children bottle things up during the day or ‘mask’. This can lead to meltdowns when they return home.
Coke is really fizzy. When shaken, the pressure inside the bottle builds. When the lid is then removed, it explodes out the top.
Your child might spend the day suppressing their movements, sensory needs and communicating in a way that is not natural to them. This is like them being shook up all day with the lid on the bottle.
When they return home where they feel safe and can ‘unmask’, they may explode.
You can watch a video on Orion Kelly’s YouTube channel explaining the coke bottle effect.