Managing Meltdowns with Body Check-Ins: Effective Strategies for Autism and ADHD

Parent Tips| Communication| Parenting and Family Support

March 23, 2025•1 min read

Dealing with sudden meltdowns in children, especially those with autism or ADHD, can be overwhelming. However, there are proactive strategies you can use to prevent these situations before they escalate. One tool is body check-ins.

Understanding the Pressure Gauge

Body check-ins act like a pressure gauge for children's emotions, particularly sensitive to triggers like itchy clothing, loud noises, or bright lights. Often, children may not recognize these discomforts until they reach their breaking point, leading to meltdowns over seemingly small issues.

How You Can Help

Implementing body check-ins involves:

Ask Specific Questions: Instead of a generic "How do you feel?" ask targeted questions like “Are your shoes comfortable?” “Is it too loud here?” This helps children tune into their body's signals before emotions escalate.
Make it a Routine: Incorporate regular body check-ins into daily activities, teaching children to recognize and manage discomfort even when calm.
Use Visual Aids: Visual tools like body charts or emojis can help children express discomfort when verbal communication is challenging.
Empower Independence: Teach children to conduct their own check-ins, promoting self-regulation skills.

The Impact of Small Shifts

By integrating body check-ins into daily routines, parents can empower children with autism or ADHD to manage emotions effectively, reducing meltdowns and fostering emotional resilience.

To explore this topic further and hear real-life insights from parents, listen to our special parent consulting episode on the Every Brain is Different podcast.

Samantha Foote

Samantha’s mission is to strengthen, guide, and empower parents, children, and adults to develop emotional awareness, improve social skills, and gain effective coping skills resulting in improved peer relationships, increased family harmony, and a calmer & more relaxed demeanor. She is a board-certified music therapist, a Positive Discipline Parent Educator, and a registered Music Together teacher. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Utah State University and completed her Masters of Music with a specialization in Music Therapy degree from Colorado State University. She is a Neurological Music Therapy Fellow and a Dialectical Behavior Therapy-informed Music Therapist. When she is not working, Samantha enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and extended family. They enjoy fishing, camping, and other outdoor adventures.

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