Asperger’s children often have high stress levels. Things overwhelm them easily and they don’t have the skills they need to control their emotions. Music may be nothing more to than noise to the Asperger’s child and can cause emotions to reach out of control levels. Overwhelming situations can result in meltdowns immediately or hours or even days later.
Meltdowns
Meltdowns can result in the Asperger’s child going out of control. He may cry, scream, cry and scream, kick, throw things, pound on walls, or engage in other inappropriate behavior. It’s very difficult to determine when, where or why a meltdown will occur. When you ask the child what the problem is, the may give an off the wall reply, such as “I have no green toys,” when he has hundreds of green toys in his room.
Never punish an Asperger’s child for having a meltdown, which appears to be nothing more than an intense temper tantrum. Allow him a quiet time and once he is again in control, try to find out what the real problem is. It could be something that happened immediately before the meltdown, yesterday, or even last week. It’s very difficult to determine why a meltdown occurs unless the child learns to communicate his feelings.
Meltdowns often occur after a rough day at school, a disagreement with a sibling, a lost game, a sporting event or other activity. Be patient and supportive. Don’t shout. Let the child know that you support him and love him. It is not unusual for Asperger’s children to meltdown upon arriving home from school. A school day is very structured and they try to be on their best behavior, so venting when they get home is quite natural.