Sam I Am Autism Services

Big feelings and meltdowns can look different for every child.

▶️ They might include yelling or crying.
▶️ They might involve scratching someone.
▶️ They might include someone hitting themselves.

Meltdowns can also happen for many different reasons.

➡️ Sometimes it is the inability to communicate one’s wants and needs.
➡️ Sometimes it is the inability to regulate one’s emotions.
➡️ Sometimes it is the lack of tolerance for various tasks or routines.
➡️ Sometimes it is the inability to tolerate any amount of waiting.

There are so many other reasons meltdowns might happen.

Regardless of how they look, or why they are happening, they are often a concern for families for many reasons.

They can be harmful.
They can significantly impact a family’s daily life.
They can significantly impact an individual’s ability to get through the day.

Supporting an individual on the autism spectrum with big feelings and meltdowns requires compassion, understanding, and skill.

Supporting an autistic child with big feelings and meltdowns requires helping them learn strategies and develop skills that will help to increase their ability to regulate their emotions in ways that improve their quality of life.

Does your child on the autism spectrum need extra support with big feelings and meltdowns?

🔗Click the link to book a free ABA consultation call with Sam I Am to discuss your child’s specific needs and how we can help, or visit our website to learn more. https://www.samiamautism.com/contact

Sam I Am Autism Services provides ABA Therapy for autistic children and ABA Coaching for families. We support you with the goals that matter most to your child and family.

Home-based ABA services are available across Northumberland County, Durham Region, and Quinte, Ontario.



📷: Gooseberry Studios

Topics: big feelings, dysregulation, meltdowns, sensory overwhelm, emotional regulation, co-regulation, self-regulation, skill building, emotional learning, autistic children, autism support, ABA strategies, ABA therapy Ontario, Ontario Autism Program, OAP, neurodiversity affirming, strength-based support, parent coaching, ABA therapy, ABA Coaching, behaviour strategies, autism services near me, Northumberland County autism support, Quinte West autism services, Durham Region autism support.

Thinking about a conversation as having phases can help to identify the areas children on the autism spectrum may need extra support.

Making conversation initiations is one phase. There are many ways to initiate conversation.

Observe the types of conversation initiations your child on the autism spectrum makes, and note which types they may need to practice.

Some example types of conversation initiations:

A simple greeting - “Hey”

A standard opener - “What’s up?”

A comment about a current activity - “The water is so cold”

A compliment - “I like your hat” 🧢

A comparison - “You’re taller than me”

An observation - “I have those shoes too” 👟

A question - “Can I play?”

An opinion - “I love this show” 📺

Pick one type that your child isn't currently doing and try practicing every day.

Does your child on the autism spectrum need support in certain areas?

🔗Click the link to book a free ABA consultation call with Sam I Am to discuss your child’s specific needs and how we can help: https://www.samiamautism.com/contact

Sam I Am Autism Services provides ABA Therapy for autistic children and ABA Parent Coaching for families. We support you with the goals that matter most to your child and family.

Home-based ABA services are available across Northumberland County, Durham Region, and Quinte, Ontario.

School-based and daycare-based services are available in some locations, as suitable.

Does your child say anything when someone talks to them?

If they don’t, they may need support learning what to say.

Teaching conversation skills as distinct phases can help make social interactions more predictable and manageable for children on the autism spectrum.

Conversation initiation is one phase. It might include a simple opener, a question, or a comment.

Another distinct phase in conversations is responding to initiations. This might include answering questions, responding to comments, or acknowledging things that were said.

Building conversation skills takes practice. Notice the areas your child needs support with and pick one to focus on teaching.

Do you need support teaching your child on the autism spectrum?

🔗Click the link to book a free ABA consultation call with Sam I Am to discuss your child’s specific needs and what can help: https://www.samiamautism.com/contact

Sam I Am Autism Services provides ABA Therapy for autistic children and ABA Parent Coaching for families. We support you with the goals that matter most to your child and family.

Home-based ABA services are available across Northumberland County, Durham Region, and Quinte, Ontario. School-based services are available in some locations, as suitable.

How are your child’s conversation skills?

Teaching conversation skills as a sequence of steps or distinct phases can help make it more predictable and manageable for children on the autism spectrum.

The first step is commonly some type of conversation initiation.

This will look different depending on your child’s current skills and their desire to engage with others. The social context will also influence the type of conversation initiation.

One option that often applies to a wide-range of individuals and situations is teaching some type of greeting as the conversation initiation.

▶️ With peers, this might be saying “hey” or “yo”.
▶️ It might be a wave or saying “hi”.
▶️ You may also include a person’s name.

Whatever the chosen form, consistent practice will help to establish the skill and the habit.

Looking for help expanding your autistic child’s conversation skills?

🔗Click the link to book a free ABA consultation call with Sam I Am to discuss your child’s specific strengths and needs. https://www.samiamautism.com/contact

Sam I Am Autism Services provides ABA Therapy for autistic children and ABA Parent Coaching for families.

Home-based services are available across Northumberland County, Durham Region, and Quinte.

School-based services are available in some locations, as suitable.

Is brushung 🪥 your child’s teeth difficult?

It is common for children on the autism spectrum to struggle with tooth brushing in different ways.

It is okay to start with some teeth and work up.

Modify the end goal into small, manageable steps.

Take it one step at a time.

1️⃣ Brush the smile surfaces when they get up.
2️⃣ Brush the biting surfaces after breakfast. 🦷
3️⃣ Brush the inner back surfaces when everyone is ready! 🥳

You can also break down the task by blocks of time. ⌛

⏲️ Set a timer for how long you or your child is
going to brush their teeth.

➡️ Start with a length of time that your child can currently manage.

🪥 Repeat throughout the day.

⌛⌛Gradually add more time as you see progress.

2 minutes of tooth brushing, twice a day, is typically recommended by dental professionals.

Some additional sensory considerations to think about:

🍓 Toothpaste flavour - a different flavour, or a flavour-free option may be better.

🪥 Toothbrush type - regular, electric hand-held, or a U-shaped autobrush.

Need support with your autistic child’s daily living skills?

🔗Click the link to book a free ABA consultation call with Sam I Am to discuss your child.
https://www.samiamautism.com/contact

Sam I Am Autism Services provides ABA Therapy for autistic children and ABA Parent Coaching for families.

Home-based services are available across Northumberland County, Durham Region, and Quinte.

School-based services are available in some locations, as suitable.

A summer routine needs to include a balance of predictability and flexibility to make it all the way to the end of summer. 😎

Some tips for establishing a summer routine for your child on the autism spectrum:

Try to include 1-2 routines that are the same every day.

▶️ These might be “outside time”, “snack time”, “book time”, or any other easy, familiar routine.

Try to keep sleep routines the same every day.

▶️Research indicates that sleep impacts emotional regulation, learning, and daily functioning.

Try to include a mini skill-building goal in everyday activities.

▶️Some examples: at the park, practice “waiting” or “turn taking” / on walks, practice “conversation” or “safety skills”/ at the zoo, practice “labeling” or “independence”.

Save these ideas to help keep your summer routine on track.

Need more support establishing a routine for your autistic child?

🔗Click here to book your complimentary consultation call today: https://www.samiamautism.com/contact

🦀🐍 Just some of our recent faves from ABA therapy sessions.

👦🏻+🐅 Did you laugh? 😆

Emotions are complicated. 😁😡🙁😌

Being aware of and expressing one’s emotions is a multi-layered skill.

Helping your child develop the foundational skills first, and then moving towards the increasingly complex elements can help set them on the path towards emotional regulation.

In the initial steps, awareness and expression can be taught during the moments that indicators of emotion are observed combined with the related context.

The basic distinction between “happy” and “not happy” can be a starting point.

As awareness and expression develop, moving towards a multifaceted approach is needed.

Making friends and connections with others is hard for some people.

There are things you can work on to help your child on the autism spectrum develop the tools and the confidence to foster positive relationships with others.

Things like experiencing activities outside their current interests so they feel comfortable to join in when the opportunity arises.

Things like communicating likes and dislikes so they can find those with similar interests.

Things like give and take in interactions so they can foster connection.

Social goals, social skills, making friends, ABA therapy, autism, neurodiversity affirming, Northumberland County Ontario.