Meltdown or crisis

I told a few friends that I'm autistic yesterday. One works as a SEN teacher and told me that it was derogatory to say an autistic person is having a meltdown and they say in crisis instead. 

I say having a meltdown. In crisis doesn't really describe what happens to me. I also mainly SHUT down and need to retreat. Still not a crisis though. 

Thoughts on this?

She also tried to teach me about the spectrum not being a line but a circle. At this point I sarcastically thanked her for teacher me about a condition that I actually have... very patronising.