This is a question I frequently get asked during my workshops: what is the difference between a tantrum and meltdown? Parents & guardians ask me this question- but school staff often struggle to understand the difference too!
According to HADD Ireland (the charity organisation to support those with ADHD & their families)
‘’a tantrum is an outburst that happens when a child is trying to get something he wants or needs. The tantrum stops when he gets what he wants he has some control over his behaviour. However during a meltdown- referred to here as a sensory meltdown- the child feels overwhelmed because he has too much in sensory information to process. The child is unable to control his behaviour.’’
‘Toddler tantrums’
If you are a parent you will likely have dealt with toddler tantrums many times. If you are not a parent you may have seen this scenario in a store. Let’s say a toddler sees a toy that he wants while passing a toy store in a shopping mall. He wants it…..and he wants it NOW! Parent says no. Child starts to cry and keeps asking while pulling the parent back. Parent continues to say no. Child starts screaming and maybe even lying down on the ground and kicking.
So this child has a PURPOSE. He wants the toy and is in control. Once in a while he might stop to look at the parent’s face for signs of giving in! The parent may be mortified by people looking on and buys the toy for the child. The tantrum stops. Victory has prevailed! Or, alternatively, the parent refuses to buy the toy and cajoles the child to keep moving on. The child soon realises ‘’I’m not going to get the toy!’’ He admits defeat! Tantrum over. On to the next shop. So in this case the chid is in control of his behaviour during the tantrum.
Sensory Meltdown
In a true sensory meltdown something has triggered the response and the child goes into a meltdown. This may manifest in a child screaming, crying, kicking or showing other behaviours. The child is beyond reasoning and is ‘out of control’ of his behaviour. In my workshops I describe this as the child ‘’going up & up an escalator and when they fall off the cliff edge this is where you witness the out of control meltdown’’.
What does a sensory meltdown look like?
Tantrums are often associated with toddlers.
However a sensory meltdown can happen at any age and can look quite similar to a tantrum. Some of these manifestations may be (but are certainly not limited to)
- Screaming/ kicking/ inconsolable crying
- Lashing out physically and verbally
- Throwing objects
In my personal experience my own child (who has hypersensitive sensory issues) would often throw items around in her bedroom after a long day-in school. Yes even chairs! Even at the age of 7, 8 and 9; even older. I discovered that she was ‘holding in’ her anguish all-day while at school and having the meltdown for she felt safe with the person she trusted & loved the most- which was with me or her dad. I am really glad to say that she is now a fantastic 13 year old who can regulate herself by recognising her own triggers. She uses this plus some exercises from the BRAINCALM™ program to manage her ‘sensory escalation’ and to catch herself before she goes off the ‘cliff edge’. Once in a while she still needs a little intervention from Mum- this comes in the form of a cuddle and a mug of tea!
Sensory Overload
Let me try to explain sensory overload as simply as I can. During my workshops I ask attendees to close their eyes and focus on their 5 ‘outside the body’ senses which are
- Sight
- Taste
- Touch
- Sound
- Smell
I also ask them to focus on their 3 ‘inside the body’ senses which are
- Sensors in muscles and joints
- balance sensors and
- sensors on organs such as the stomach bladder and even temperature sensors
I will go into more detail about sensors and sensory overload in other articles, videos and courses.
But for now visualise that you have a ‘’volume button’’ in your brain. Information is constantly and quickly being gathered from the above 8 senses and travel up the billions of little ‘super highways’ to the brain for processing.
Let’s say your brain’s ’’ volume button’’ is turned up too high. The result is that
- sounds are too loud & may even be painful
- smells too strong and even nauseating
- touch is painful
- And so on with some or all of the other senses.
It is exhausting for the hyper sensitive child or adult to process the overloaded senses. They often describe feeling ‘bombarded’ by a mix of senses. When a highly sensitive brain becomes overwhelmed by the intensity of sensory signals it ends up in sensory overload.
This is where a fight or flight response can kick in to a stressor. Sometimes the stressor may only be going into a classroom or even getting dressed! It may even be something as simple as driving a different route to school. The child becomes dysregulated and he cannot control his behaviour or emotions. The reasoning part of his brain is completely bypassed .The child goes off the ‘’cliff-edge’’ and reacts like you are I might react if a tiger suddenly jumped out in front of us!
Does a sensory meltdown only happen in children?
No, a sensory person- in particular a person who is hyper or over sensitive to sounds, smells, tastes & even feelings, emotions, touch and other sensors can gradually go up the escalator become overwhelmed and exhausted by their sensory overload. They go into a state of fight or flight or ‘sensory meltdown’. It can happen at any age. I often see sensory adults struggle to manage their behaviour & emotions. Being a ‘hypersensitive Mum’ to sensory children, I can really appreciate what overload feels like!
Will a meltdown have a detrimental long term effect on the child?
Generally, no as long as the child is kept safe. However it is important not to yell at the chid and make him feel worse than his ‘out of control’ self already does. A sensory parent (is in a state of overload him or herself) or even a parent who doesn’t know how to handle the situation or who constantly meets a meltdown with yelling and screaming, will get nowhere. Often the child feels bad and the parent feels guilty.
It is really important that the child ‘feels what a state of regulation (control) FEELS like’ by completing a program such as my BRAINCALM™ Program.
Top tips for handling a child in a state of sensory meltdown:
- Make sure that the child is safe; remove any objects that could be potentially harmful to the child or to others.
- Don’t get angry! Take a huge deep breath, bring your index fingers and thumbs together, close your eyes and say this 3 times. ‘I am calm, I am in control and I’m relaxed. You need to be calm and regulated YOURSELF before you can regulate the child.
- Don’t talk to the chid. He cannot hear you. Don’t try to reason with him- he is likely beyond reasoning.
- Gently come down to the child’s level and wait for the storm to pass.
- Offer a quiet, gentle hug but only if he is ready. If he says sorry acknowledge and accept it.
- Take note of any possible triggers which may have started the meltdown. Examples might be bright lights in a supermarkets; ongoing noises such as silverware or clinking cups in a coffee shop. It may possibly be an accumulation of gradual triggers over the previous few hours. Try to keep a note of this information so that over time and with learning you will be able to watch for & catch the child’s triggers and remove triggers (or remove the child from the triggers). as he goes up the escalator and catch him before he falls off the cliff into a full blown meltdown
- Always remember this saying- ‘’this too shall pass’’ and it will. Like any storm, the sun will eventually come back out. But prevention of meltdowns- as much as possible- is the best possible outcome. The goal of being able to ‘self regulate’ is the ultimate goal of the BRAINCALM™ program.
Braincalm Bite Size……..Feed the Fidgeter
NewsHave you a fidgeter in your classroom. Perhaps you a have noticed a few children who seem to be always on the move, Here is a short video with a packed with hints and tips to support the children who just can’t sit still.
Feed the Fidget
Advice for Parents of The Sensory Child who is Starting “Big School”
NewsThrough pre school year I wondered and worried what would happen when my child went to primary school. Nine years on I can say we survived! But as I write this I am thinking about all of you parents out there who are in the shoes today that I was in 9 years ago.
How many parents out there have the same worries about a sensory child that I did?
Here’s a little research I did.
An article published by the Journal of Child Psychology in 2009 looked at children with sensory over responsivity (SOR) and starting primary school. It says’’ in elementary school age the child encounters social contexts that are less predictable and tailored for their sensory needs thus the impact of individual reactivity(how the child reacts) becomes pronounced. The research showed up to one in 6 children entering primary or elementary school have sensory issues.
What does this mean?
I wish I had read this article 9 years ago; I would have realised that I was far from being the only parent with my worries! The above research is saying that for every 6 children going through the doors of crèche, preschool or primary school, one has sensory issues that may impact on their social skills (interacting with others) on their learning and even on their play. The child might seem destructive, inattentive and even be labelled with behavioural problems.
What’s the result? often it is anxiety for the child and parent plus frustration for the teacher and other children in the class who are trying to focus and learn.
At least 1 in 6 children have ‘sensory issues’.
Wow- can this be true? From my observations as a sensory educator teaching schools and parents all over Ireland and in different parts of the world I can definitely say yes. In fact many years have passed since the study above was completed and I fear that the in the present day-the number is even higher in socially deprived areas. I am thinking about the inner city Dublin school where I developed my BRAINCALM™ program and other programs. The ratio of children with various issues that impact on behaviour & learning entering primary school is as high as 1 in 2.
Many don’t just have sensory issues they; have other co-existing conditions such as dyspraxia & ADHD. In recent years when I have screened children starting my BRAINCALM™ pilot primary school, I have noted that half have SGO or was I call ‘something going on’. These SGO kids often struggle to learn, attend and behave. In other schools, even in rural or country schools, I am seeing at least 25% of pupils with SGO and sometimes more. It truly seems to be an epidemic of this era!
Over sensitive children can go into overload and this might lead to sensory meltdowns. This child may seem to have an excessive reaction to a normal sensory stimulation in comparison to his peers.
This child may:
Sensory seeking child:
This child may appear to:
The Sloth-like Child
This child may seem sleepy and disinterested and may consistently lie across a table may seem easily distracted
**Very often I see a mix of some of above issues in the same sensory child. I am VERY familiar with mixed sensory issues- I have 2 children who struggle with processing their senses.
Tips on preparing your sensory child for primary school:
Complete my BRAINCALM™ program with the child for 15 minutes a day at home in the weeks leading up to the start of primary school & even after starting school. In 80% of children who complete the BRAINCALM™ program we see a reduction in anxiety, an improvement in attention, behaviour & ability to learn. See www.brendacassidy.combraincalm/ for details. Ask your school if they run the BRAINCALM™ program and if so ask if your child can be included. Feel free to send this link to your school if they don’t already run it.www.brendacassidy.com/braincalm/
These are just a few tips that I give to parents of preschool children during workshops I give on getting ready for big-school. Preparation in the months and weeks ahead is key. As is a good sleep routine is also vital.
Caution! If you are anxious and stressed coming up to take every step you can to be REGULATED & CALM yourself! The sensory child (especially those who are over or hyper sensitive) will absorb and possible mirror your anxiety.
Oh yes and like every other parent on big-school day 1…. remember to bring a packet of tissues!
** If you are a parent or guardian who suffers on-going anxiety get in touch with me- I can recommend practitioners who can help – contact me here.
Child Tantrums versus Meltdowns: What’s the Difference?
NewsAccording to HADD Ireland (the charity organisation to support those with ADHD & their families)
‘’a tantrum is an outburst that happens when a child is trying to get something he wants or needs. The tantrum stops when he gets what he wants he has some control over his behaviour. However during a meltdown- referred to here as a sensory meltdown- the child feels overwhelmed because he has too much in sensory information to process. The child is unable to control his behaviour.’’
‘Toddler tantrums’
If you are a parent you will likely have dealt with toddler tantrums many times. If you are not a parent you may have seen this scenario in a store. Let’s say a toddler sees a toy that he wants while passing a toy store in a shopping mall. He wants it…..and he wants it NOW! Parent says no. Child starts to cry and keeps asking while pulling the parent back. Parent continues to say no. Child starts screaming and maybe even lying down on the ground and kicking.
So this child has a PURPOSE. He wants the toy and is in control. Once in a while he might stop to look at the parent’s face for signs of giving in! The parent may be mortified by people looking on and buys the toy for the child. The tantrum stops. Victory has prevailed! Or, alternatively, the parent refuses to buy the toy and cajoles the child to keep moving on. The child soon realises ‘’I’m not going to get the toy!’’ He admits defeat! Tantrum over. On to the next shop. So in this case the chid is in control of his behaviour during the tantrum.
Sensory Meltdown
In a true sensory meltdown something has triggered the response and the child goes into a meltdown. This may manifest in a child screaming, crying, kicking or showing other behaviours. The child is beyond reasoning and is ‘out of control’ of his behaviour. In my workshops I describe this as the child ‘’going up & up an escalator and when they fall off the cliff edge this is where you witness the out of control meltdown’’.
What does a sensory meltdown look like?
Tantrums are often associated with toddlers.
However a sensory meltdown can happen at any age and can look quite similar to a tantrum. Some of these manifestations may be (but are certainly not limited to)
In my personal experience my own child (who has hypersensitive sensory issues) would often throw items around in her bedroom after a long day-in school. Yes even chairs! Even at the age of 7, 8 and 9; even older. I discovered that she was ‘holding in’ her anguish all-day while at school and having the meltdown for she felt safe with the person she trusted & loved the most- which was with me or her dad. I am really glad to say that she is now a fantastic 13 year old who can regulate herself by recognising her own triggers. She uses this plus some exercises from the BRAINCALM™ program to manage her ‘sensory escalation’ and to catch herself before she goes off the ‘cliff edge’. Once in a while she still needs a little intervention from Mum- this comes in the form of a cuddle and a mug of tea!
Sensory Overload
Let me try to explain sensory overload as simply as I can. During my workshops I ask attendees to close their eyes and focus on their 5 ‘outside the body’ senses which are
I also ask them to focus on their 3 ‘inside the body’ senses which are
I will go into more detail about sensors and sensory overload in other articles, videos and courses.
But for now visualise that you have a ‘’volume button’’ in your brain. Information is constantly and quickly being gathered from the above 8 senses and travel up the billions of little ‘super highways’ to the brain for processing.
Let’s say your brain’s ’’ volume button’’ is turned up too high. The result is that
It is exhausting for the hyper sensitive child or adult to process the overloaded senses. They often describe feeling ‘bombarded’ by a mix of senses. When a highly sensitive brain becomes overwhelmed by the intensity of sensory signals it ends up in sensory overload.
This is where a fight or flight response can kick in to a stressor. Sometimes the stressor may only be going into a classroom or even getting dressed! It may even be something as simple as driving a different route to school. The child becomes dysregulated and he cannot control his behaviour or emotions. The reasoning part of his brain is completely bypassed .The child goes off the ‘’cliff-edge’’ and reacts like you are I might react if a tiger suddenly jumped out in front of us!
Does a sensory meltdown only happen in children?
No, a sensory person- in particular a person who is hyper or over sensitive to sounds, smells, tastes & even feelings, emotions, touch and other sensors can gradually go up the escalator become overwhelmed and exhausted by their sensory overload. They go into a state of fight or flight or ‘sensory meltdown’. It can happen at any age. I often see sensory adults struggle to manage their behaviour & emotions. Being a ‘hypersensitive Mum’ to sensory children, I can really appreciate what overload feels like!
Will a meltdown have a detrimental long term effect on the child?
Generally, no as long as the child is kept safe. However it is important not to yell at the chid and make him feel worse than his ‘out of control’ self already does. A sensory parent (is in a state of overload him or herself) or even a parent who doesn’t know how to handle the situation or who constantly meets a meltdown with yelling and screaming, will get nowhere. Often the child feels bad and the parent feels guilty.
It is really important that the child ‘feels what a state of regulation (control) FEELS like’ by completing a program such as my BRAINCALM™ Program.
Top tips for handling a child in a state of sensory meltdown:
Live Braincalm Workshops February & March 2019
NewsFollowing the success of our sold out Braincalm Training workshops in January and earlier this month we have 3 more Braincalm training workshops for parents, SNAs & SETs in Galway, Cork & Kildare
For information & to book online click here
Galway
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/braincalm-training-for-snas-sets-parents-galway-feb-march-2019-tickets-55853608647
Cork
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/braincalm-trainingsnassets-parents-cork-sat-march-2-april-13-tickets-56231573149
Kildare
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/braincalm-training-for-snas-sets-parents-kildare-mar6thmar-27th2-parts-tickets-55854089084
New for 2019: Live Braincalm(TM) Training Workshops Countrywide
Blog, NewsI have taught my hugely successful Braincalm(TM) program to over 3000 school staff and parents across the country. Every day I receive emails from school staff- mostly special needs assistants, special education teachers, resource teachers and parents who take children through the simple set of brain calming and organizing physical exercises for 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
Below is the Braincalm(TM) information video:
We have seen some excellent results with reports including
The demand has been so great for live Braincalm(TM) workshops that I decided to the train tutors to run workshops across Ireland.
Braincalm Tutors:
Over the past number of years I have been blessed to meet many wonderful parents, preschool and school staff at my workshops and while training in schools. At the end of 2018 I decided to approach 7 of the ‘best’ to train as tutors for my Braincalm workshops which kick off in January 2019.
In order to teach Braincalm(TM) my tutors
My 7 new tutors come from a variety of backgrounds
Some of my tutors have children with ‘SGO’ or something going on themselves. My 7 tutors and I teach from in depth professional and personal experience.
Countrywide Braincalm Workshops January 2019:
If you are a school staff member especially SNAs ,SETs & parents- we have a workshop near you! Click on the links below for more information & to book online.
Donegal https://www.eventbrite.com/e/braincalm-training-for-snas-sets-parents-letterkenny-jan-26feb-23-2-parts-tickets-53381395190
Mayo https://www.eventbrite.com/e/braincalm-training-for-snas-sets-parents-mayo-janfeb-19-2-parts-tickets-53220398645
Galway https://www.eventbrite.com/e/braincalm-training-for-snas-sets-parents-galway-janfeb-19-tickets-53220453810
Cork https://www.eventbrite.com/e/braincalm-training-for-snas-sets-parents-cork-febmarch-20192-parts-tickets-53220497942
Mullingar https://www.eventbrite.com/e/braincalm-trainingpreschoolsnas-sets-parents-mullingar-janfeb2-parts-tickets-53382208623
Dublin https://www.eventbrite.com/e/braincalm-training-for-snas-sets-parents-dublin-jan-22ndfeb-5th-tickets-53382118353
Spaces are very limited and tickets tend to go quickly book so ASAP to avoid disappointment. See you in 2019!
Launch of new website!
Blog, NewsI am delighted to finally launch my new website www.brendacassidy.com! Although I am a little sad to say goodbye to the old company name- Zoom Boom Kids- and of course the colourful bouncing eyes, I wanted to make everything easier for people to remember. So I decided to go back to basics and just use my name!
As you can see on the website my ‘brand’ colour is purple. I find purple and many different shades of it very calming. Plus I just like purple. So you will be seeing a lot of it from now on.
As for the website….what will you find there? My focus has moved to providing the best but simple education around sensory issues (and other issues such as behaviour & anxiety related to sensory problems) to PARENTS & SCHOOL STAFF…..most especially Special Education Teachers & Special Needs Assistants. However many parents & school staff of children in mainstream classes are the ones who come to me for help and who use my programs.
By using my new site www.brendacassidy.com I want to offer my tried and tested but down to earth, no jargon programs to anyone in the world who needs help. I do have a short page about ‘Sensory Issues’ on the site but I will expand on this in the future to offer more help in understanding this complicated but common condition. (Around 1 in 6 children have a ‘Sensory SGO- something going on’ as I call it!) It really is vital to understand what you are dealing with both as parents & as school staff (who spend half of the child’s waking day WITH the child!).
You will find a ‘Meet Brenda’ page and this will tell you a little more about me, my background as an OT and as a Mum of sensory children.
The first online learning program featured on my site is ‘Braincalm For Parents‘. Have a look at the video on my home page and it will tell you a little more about this groundbreaking and highly effective 15-20 minute a day activity based brain organising & calming daily program. In future blogs I will be explaining more about the Braincalm Program™.
I will be offering ‘Braincalm For Schoolstaff’ very soon and plan to have the following courses online by the start of the next school term
But for now, welcome to the new part of my journey to bring simple and effective but easy to run programs to struggling parents and stressed school staff all over the world. Please feel free to get in touch brenda@brendacassidy.com and let me know what you think of my new website!
Best wishes,
Brenda Cassidy,
OT & Sensory Educator
You can watch the introduction video to the website www.brendacassidy.com here.
…. Farewell Zoom Boom Kids
BlogWe are sad to say goodbye to our old name ‘Zoom Boom Kids’ and we will miss the colorful bouncing eyes!
But the great news is that we have changed the company name to ‘ Brenda Cassidy OT & Sensory Educator ‘! You will see that we have a new logo with our new signature purple background.You will notice lots of this color around our site and on our training videos from now on.
For those of you wondering about the purple jigsaw in the logo with one jigsaw piece floating….well that represents what I do for parents and school staff. I fill in the ‘missing piece’ of the child’s jigsaw- which is often a sensory issue- and I help create a ‘whole picture’ of the child so everyone around the child can ‘get into the driving seat’ of simply finding solutions that changes the child’s life. And yours too!
From now on our website will change from www.zoomboomkids.com to wwe.Brendacassidy.com.
I still provide the same excellent down to earth & fun training but under new branding. As a mum of 2 sensory children, I know how hard it is to find structured and no jargon help. You have come to the right place.
I will continue to offer limited live workshops and talks for teachers and parents but you will be able to access my highly effective but very simple programs including my groundbreaking ‘Braincalm Program (TM) ‘ online on this website.
Stay tuned for further online workshops to come including:
and more!
I would like to say a huge thanks to all the fantastic principals/ head teachers, school staff, preschool staff & parents (both pilot paticipants and customers) who have been on this journey with me for the past few years. I hope you will continue with me for may more!
Best wishes
Brenda Cassidy OT & Sensory Educator