If you've heard the term "autistic meltdown," but aren't quite sure what it means or what it actually looks like, this video is for you...

I think most people hear the word "meltdown" and envision a person kicking, screaming, and thrashing around... usually a child.

But adults can, and do, have meltdowns too... they just look different.

Before I get into how adult autistic meltdowns can look... especially when we've gotten really good at internalizing them so we don't look "crazy"... I want to explain some things about when and why they happen.

First... they're usually the result of an autistic person not getting their needs met. Examples of this are... the result of unexpected plan changes... something not going the way we needed it to go... sensory overload... but there are so many others.

When these triggers happen, the autistic person will often have a fight, flight, or freeze response, which causes some type of visible behavioral reaction.

Now, I want to stress that these behavioral reactions are the result of EXTREME and OVERWHELMING distress...

They are NOT a manipulation tactic.

They are NOT attention seeking.

And they are almost NEVER within a person's control.

Ok, so how do they look?

For me, my internal experience usually includes me hyperventilating, having heart palpitations, holding back a hearty cry... having a much lower tolerance for sensory inputs, not being able to think about anything but the trigger... and usually a desperate and frantic need to remove it.

But outwardly, I probably just look impatient, frustrated, irritated, irrational, and when I'm able to extract myself from the situation... like I'm skirting my responsibilities. What you wouldn't see is my overwhelming panic and internal chaos.

These types of behaviors can make us appear at fault or weak for not being able to manage our emotions... but when autistic meltdowns happen, they're the direct result of unmet needs related to autistic brain wiring... and, again... almost never within our control.

I do want to add that this description mostly applies to lower support needs, or level 1 autistic people. And not just adults.

(Though I think this is more likely to apply to adults because children tend to have a harder time regulating their emotions simply because they haven't developed as many coping strategies as adults yet.)

If you're autistic (high, medium, or lower support needs, I'm curious no matter where you fall), does any of this resonate with you?

And as always, if you find this content helpful, follow for more. 

And since it's still April for a couple more days...

Happy autism awareness month!