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advice needed please xx

linziprophet

Hi everyone first time on a forum so a little nervous but could really do with some advice, my son who is 8 years old has just had a record meltdown that has lasted 2 hours he has calming lights in his room and has now settled. when he has these meltdowns he wont talk or listen to me or his dad he puts his fleece blanket around himself and just screams and shouts and hes destructive i have heard that weighted blankets are a good aid to use can anyone tell me if these are worth buying ? and if so where is the best place to buy them from, thanks x

Parents

  • Welcome to the forum.

    I find the physical sensation of being squeezed, or some weight on me, very calming, and this can be a very effective way to help me calm down following a melt-down.  In fact, I still find it very hard to sleep at night without feeling that I'm properly "tucked in", even though I'm now in my forties.  Such things are very different for each autistic person, but you are definitely thinking along the right lines.

    There was a post about professionally made weighted blankets here a little while ago that you might find useful.  Here's a link that you can click to get to it - Ball Blanket

    One thing that I think it is very important to stress about melt downs, is that when it happens to us, the reason that we don't listen or talk is not because we don't want to.  Our brains are just get so fried that the language bit of our brain is completely shut down, and we can't understand or speak no matter how hard we try.  When I am like that, the people around me may as well be talking Klingon for all the difference it would make! It is often best to calmly tell the person in very simple words that they are safe, that you are there for them, and that what is happening to them will pass shortly - and then remain quiet until it recedes.  Easier said than done, I'm sure, as your desire to stop it must be so exasperating - but calmness from those around us really helps to reduce the overload that we feel.

    The fact that your son wraps himself in his blanket when he has a melt-down suggests that you are right to look for something that gives him the sensation of being wrapped up, but which he is in total control over.  It may also be that the texture, or even the colour or smell, of the blanket is very comforting for him too.  If you talk to him about which sensations he enjoys the most, I'm sure that between you, you will find something that helps.

    Best wishes.

Reply

  • Welcome to the forum.

    I find the physical sensation of being squeezed, or some weight on me, very calming, and this can be a very effective way to help me calm down following a melt-down.  In fact, I still find it very hard to sleep at night without feeling that I'm properly "tucked in", even though I'm now in my forties.  Such things are very different for each autistic person, but you are definitely thinking along the right lines.

    There was a post about professionally made weighted blankets here a little while ago that you might find useful.  Here's a link that you can click to get to it - Ball Blanket

    One thing that I think it is very important to stress about melt downs, is that when it happens to us, the reason that we don't listen or talk is not because we don't want to.  Our brains are just get so fried that the language bit of our brain is completely shut down, and we can't understand or speak no matter how hard we try.  When I am like that, the people around me may as well be talking Klingon for all the difference it would make! It is often best to calmly tell the person in very simple words that they are safe, that you are there for them, and that what is happening to them will pass shortly - and then remain quiet until it recedes.  Easier said than done, I'm sure, as your desire to stop it must be so exasperating - but calmness from those around us really helps to reduce the overload that we feel.

    The fact that your son wraps himself in his blanket when he has a melt-down suggests that you are right to look for something that gives him the sensation of being wrapped up, but which he is in total control over.  It may also be that the texture, or even the colour or smell, of the blanket is very comforting for him too.  If you talk to him about which sensations he enjoys the most, I'm sure that between you, you will find something that helps.

    Best wishes.

Children
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