Season 2 Spotlight Meltdowns and Milestones: Changing the Outcome with Your Strengths as an Autism Mom

Thriving Moms of Autistics

Hi Moms! Raise your hand if you have ever experienced your child having a meltdown? Don’t be shy! It happens to all of us whether we are in the car, at home, at the store… It happens! It’s just a part of it.

Have there been times when you thought, “I could have handled that better!” Of course! You are not alone. No worries because there will be many more meltdowns in the future for you to practice.

We all wish we had a magic wand to take care of meltdowns with a quick woosh, right? In this episode, I explore the one mom tool in your mom toolbox to make that happen. It’s in your toolbox. You might not realize it.

Find the full transcript for this episode at

www.thrivingmomsofautistics.com/98

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Can Moms of Autistics Really Impact the Outcome of a Meltdown?

It can feel like you have zero control when a meltdown occurs. Moms often feel helpless, especially when it comes suddenly.

All of us have faced these meltdowns and watched our child’s strength and resilience in the process. It’s pretty exhausting for them as well.

Moms possess strength and resilience as well. All humans have strengths. They just vary from person to person. Most often moms are not aware of their strengths.

We do our best to anticipate our child’s triggers. Every child’s trigger is different. Sometimes, you don’t see the meltdown coming at all.

Moms of autistics are quick on their feet and adapt to ever changing situations. But we’re not perfect. However, we all have secret weapons to deal with the inevitable meltdown.

It’s our innate strengths. Strengths help you through the chaos and minimize the impact on your child and sometimes even the length of the meltdown.

What is Your Special Tool in Your Autism Mom Toolbox?

First, it’s important to remember that sensory overload isn’t on purpose. It may seem that way to spectators, but no one wakes up and says, “Oh, I think I will melt down today!”

Meltdowns are not the same as tantrums. It’s a result of sensory overload and our child’s way of saying, “I am overwhelmed and need help.”

I’ve had to learn to stay as calm as possible and take a breath. It’s hard to do when those around you are judging in their minds and sometimes out loud.

I have had to teach myself to leave the world around me behind. It does not matter what others are thinking. My son is my primary focus. That is not easy to do all the time.

This is shifting your focus and takes practice. Then you can reach into your mom toolbox and get your innate strength out that works best for this situation.

I often use my personal strengths in creativity and perseverance to get through these situations. It drives people crazy, but I am not one to give up. I see it through until the end and find creative ways to adjust and improve the situation.

My strength of perspective is helpful as well. I tend to analyze all areas of a situation to come up with the best next step.

As moms of autistic children, we've developed incredible strengths, often without even realizing it. We're resourceful, patient, and incredibly adaptable.

We've become experts at reading our children's nonverbal cues and anticipating their needs. These are all invaluable assets in navigating meltdowns.

In my 4-month Thrive VIP program, I work individually with moms to identify their personal strengths to get through the many challenges of raising an autistic and ways to grow their strengths. To l