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13 year old daughter - flops to the ground suddenly is this a symptom of overwhelm?

loob520

My daughter, since she was small had a habit of flopping down to the ground and sitting there while laughing  - usually it was during times of change, family members or friends saying goodbye when leaving our house - sometimes it would be when we had visitors and lots of people talking.  She never showed signs of distress but would laugh uncontrollably almost like she was acting for laughs. I never thought anything of it as she was always very bubbly and happy when small and people just assumed this was all part of her character. She seemed to love attention on her. But, now that she is older she still occasionally does this with us. Again when she is at home and saying goodbye to someone at our front door.

But she has also done this when out in public when she was at the cinema with 3 of her friends. This last episode was very noticeable that it was odd behaviour to her friends who were all looking at her and showing their impatience with her as she wouldn't get up and was just laughing and sitting/laying on the floor. I was with them and asked her quietly to get up off the floor (people were all leaving the cinema and having to walk around her). I can't find anything that explains this behaviour or links it to ASD but has anyone seen similar in their child and is this overwhelm? I am now thinking it is but I never recognised it before but I cannot find any evidence or examples that explain it. She generally shows overwhelm by shutting down and internalising and naturally masking extensively. She does have dyspraxia but I don't think this is a balance or coordination issue as she is often just standing there and flops down.

  • in reply to Bunny

    Thank you for your reply. She is still able to talk and have a conversation while this happens but I take your point and will check this with the GP.

  • Welcome to the community.

    Whilst what you’ve described could be consistent with meltdowns, I suggest raising your concerns with your daughter’s GP and, if they don’t feel able to confirm the cause with confidence, asking for a referral.

    We’re not allowed to give medical advice here, so I can’t say any more than that I know, for example, that certain forms of epilepsy (eg gelastic-atonic seizures) can have similar symptoms (including dropping to the floor, and the form of laughter sounding odd) - and that rates of epilepsy are higher in autistic people than in the neurotypical population. Other explanations might also be possible.

    So I would personally recommend seeking medical advice, just to be on the safe side.

    More information:

    NAS - Meltdowns

    NAS - Epilepsy and autism

    I wish you all the best.

  • in reply to loob520

    That's the problem.  Because if you were to intervene in the period before her falling on the floor, she would no doubt say she was fine/having a great time.  ASD individuals don't seem to regulate/have a filter, so essentially don't know how much is enough - and continue to 'absorb' things way beyond the point where others would stop, I find.  Then they reach the point of overload. 

    You've already identified that some of these bouts occur at times of change, so that could be one trigger, but quite possibly there are others.  Could it be that the onset of knowing that the ambience in the house was about to change brought about this laughter all of a sudden?  It is a complex thing, but I would also say that sometimes what appears to be elation is actually quite the opposite.  What you see is not always how the person feels - it is just how it manifests itself.  I realise this sounds weird, but I'm talking from memory & it was some time ago mainly. 

  • in reply to overwhelmed & underwhelmed

    Thank you for your reply. I guess because we don't 'see' her becoming dysregulated this falling on to the floor usually omes out of the blue. Although since her diagnosis we are understanding potential triggers. I'm wondering if it's a way of grounding herself but it doesnt seem to be a recognised coping strategy

  • I'd say she is overwhelmed and having trouble regulating her emotions. 

    When I was little, and in a situation out of the ordinary - one that I'd find hard to process, I'd act in a manner that made no sense to others around me. I remember Christmases and birthdays- and feeling happy yet struggling to regulate this as perhaps a neurotypical person would. So I'd get louder and louder and eventually explode one way or another. Culminating in a laughing episode that took ages to stop or tears. 

    Looking back I had no clue about the processing difficulties I had, and the adults that were meant to guide had none either. More often than not I would end up being punished for putting on such a spectacle. 

    If what you describe is the same or similar, it is likely that the events will decrease over time as coping strategies come into play. I still get very overwhelmed. Very agitated. Very upset - especially when things happen that are out of the ordinary, unexpected or suddenly stop. But I tend to internalise more - which hurts. Thanks for posting this.