In both cases, there’s a temporary loss of basic skills. If this is the case, the episode may even pass unnoticed.ĭespite their differences, both reactions are due to the inability to process a particular situation. Therefore, they may appear absent, withdrawn, and subdued, and mutism may also appear. ![]() Frustration or saturation leads the individual to experience an internal ‘short circuit’ and to disconnect from the environment. These episodes can be quite disturbing to see.Ī shutdown is an internalization of discomfort. They might scream, cry, self-harm, hit things, and, ultimately, temporarily lose control. However, what do these two terms involve? Meltdown is an externalized reaction to the discomfort that the sufferer is experiencing. For example, when the individual experiences frustration, stress, or overexertion, when they’re in a hostile environment, or when they have to face change or uncertainty. The individual feels overwhelmed and collapses, experiencing a crisis that can express itself in one of two ways.Īs we said earlier, this mainly happens due to sensory saturation, but it can also occur due to emotional overload or overflow. Meltdown and shutdown are two consequences or responses to sensory overload, antonymous in their manifestations but caused by the same process. They overload and overwhelm them, triggering crises. These elements, which are harmless to most people, can be really annoying and even painful for people with ASD. Loud noises, bright lights, intense smells, and certain types of clothing or material. On the other hand, hypersensitivity makes the sufferer extremely sensitive to certain environmental stimuli, thus promoting sensory overload. Hyposensitivity causes difficulties in identifying pain or triggers stimulation-seeking behaviors. This can lead to hyposensitivity or hypersensitivity. People with ASD process stimuli from the environment differently. Sounds, lights, aromas, tastes… All these sensory inputs enter through our senses and are combined and translated by our brains before we can generate an appropriate response to them. ![]() Let’s start by remembering that the senses are the way in which we capture relevant information from the environment in order to process it and make use of it. To address meltdown and shutdown, we must first talk about sensory processing in people with ASD. In order that this doesn’t happen, we need to understand why these kinds of behavior occur. However, in terms of the general population, these phenomena tend to provoke prejudice, misunderstanding, and rejection. Despite not being the most appropriate methods of coping, they’re the ways in which autism sufferers deal with overwhelming situations.Īs a rule, the families and people closest to ASD sufferers are used to these crises and, although it’s also difficult for them to deal with them, they’re better able to understand them. Such is the case of meltdown and shutdown, two realities we’ll explain in this article.īoth terms refer to reactions that an individual with autism has to protect themselves against sensory overload. In fact, some of their behaviors and manifestations can be disturbing or confusing. On a social level, we’re a long way from understanding the needs of people with ASD. ![]() ![]() Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex condition that affects not only those who suffer from it but also their families and close friends.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |