Is there loud music playing in the store? What sensory stimulation could be occurring there? Think of our shopping example for a moment. Sensory meltdowns usually occur outside of the home, in a place with a lot of sensory input. It is a reaction to the abundance of stimuli they are receiving. Unlike some tantrums, sensory meltdowns are not a result of not getting something that they want in the moment. A child having a sensory meltdown does not choose to get overwhelmed and lose control of their emotions. Each child’s tolerance level will vary greatly depending on their personality and genetic makeup.Ī highly sensitive child’s threshold will be much lower than that of a child who is less affected by their environment. Sensory overload can occur when there is too much sensory stimuli building up over time or occurring all at once. Sensory meltdowns are a result of overwhelm. If the tantrum is the result of being hungry or tired, providing them with a snack or putting them down for a nap should be all that is needed. It is a temporary fix and will only make correcting this behavior harder as your child grows. While giving in will likely end the tantrum, this doesn’t solve the problem. This could mean getting to play with a toy that they want, having a certain food they desire to eat, or allowing them to stay somewhere they want for a few more minutes. Most tantrums can be tamed when something they don’t like is “fixed”. A few instances include being asked to eat unappealing foods, being told to share a toy, being informed that it is time to leave a fun place and bedtime. They can also be the result of a hungry or tired child.įurthermore, there are usually predictable situations that lead to tantrums. Tantrums are often a reaction to not getting something that is desired or having to do something that is not desirable. They frequently occur in young children who do not have the emotional maturity or words to deal with things they don’t like. TantrumsĪ tantrum is a way a small child expresses frustration. In order to answer this, we first have to define both of these terms and clarify what is driving their behavior. Where did this outburst come from? Is this a tantrum or a sensory meltdown? Sometimes they both result in big emotions in the form of crying, whining, screaming or aggression, so how can you tell the difference? You are trying everything to calm them down, while the cashier and others in line are watching your every move. There is a lot of crying, screaming and flailing. While standing in line your child starts to get fussy and before you know it big emotions are pouring out of them. As you head to the checkout counter, you mention that you have one more store to go to before heading home. You are on the third store of the day and everything seems to be going well. To start, let’s imagine that you are out running errands with your child. Examples could be running, whining, hiding, avoiding eye contact, crying, hitting, pushing, punching, biting, spitting, or shutting down (not talking or moving).What is the difference between a tantrum and a sensory meltdown? How can you differentiate between the two when a child’s reaction often looks the same in either instance? In this article, I will be defining the two terms and describing the causes of each, so that you will be able to clearly tell whether your child is having a tantrum or a sensory meltdown. Meltdowns may look different for each child, it will also differ depending if the response to a trigger is a fight, flight or freeze response. A sensory meltdown is a fight, flight or freeze response to sensory overload. Sensory meltdowns are a reaction to something around them that is beyond the child’s control. Multiple directions given to them at once or looking at a closet full of clothes, deciding what to wear. For other kids, it can be a reaction to having too many things to think about. The loud lunchroom or a busy place like a shopping mall. For some kids, a sensory meltdown can happen when there’s too much sensory information to process.
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