Guest guest Posted September 9, 2010 Report Share Posted September 9, 2010 A must read for any parent on this site is, " The Explosive Child " by Ross Greene. You'll get answers in that book. On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 5:29 AM, jessiek24@... <jessiek24@...> wrote: I wish there was an Aspie parent hotline to call when you are in the moment. I am still struggling with how to deal w/ meltdowns. Can anyone offer advice about what to do when you are on the expressway and your son is having a complete meltdown in the backseat (because something on his game went wrong or his sister looked at him), kicking the seat, screaming at the top of his lungs. I have tried to ignore, but obviously it's very nerve-wracking and dangerous. I pull over and wait due to safety concerns, but can anyone offer some strategies that have worked???? Or is it just like all meltdowns, you just let it ride its course? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2010 Report Share Posted September 9, 2010 I wish I could offer advice, but if it helps my daughter does the same thing. I have not found anything that works either except stopping for safety, because I can't drive with all the distractions. I look forward to some strategies myself. Best Wishes, Becky From: "jessiek24@..." <jessiek24@...> Sent: Thu, September 9, 2010 3:29:45 AMSubject: ( ) Highway Danger I wish there was an Aspie parent hotline to call when you are in the moment. I am still struggling with how to deal w/ meltdowns. Can anyone offer advice about what to do when you are on the expressway and your son is having a complete meltdown in the backseat (because something on his game went wrong or his sister looked at him), kicking the seat, screaming at the top of his lungs. I have tried to ignore, but obviously it's very nerve-wracking and dangerous. I pull over and wait due to safety concerns, but can anyone offer some strategies that have worked???? Or is it just like all meltdowns, you just let it ride its course? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2010 Report Share Posted September 19, 2010 I have done this before, it's very tough. Some ideas I can think of offhand: You could not let him have things that you know can cause meltdowns. Substitute a variety of toys/activities that are more neutral for the car. (i.e. squishy toys, books, puzzles, etc.) Make it a "car toy box" and specific to the car to increase it's novelty-level. If you can't sever his hands from his gameboy (lol, btdt), then I would only let him play games that are not as stressful in the car. You could even talk to him about why you are doing it and gain his ideas/cooperation. Tell him, "This is a problem for us all (dangerous, stressful, etc.) and how can we arrange things to help you calm down?" Sometimes they will come up with ideas themselves, sometimes not. Another idea would be to work on calming down strategies all the time so when they do happen, you can prompt him to use his strategy-of-the-moment. This would be a more long term project, to be sure, but you could then praise him for every mile or two that he behaves in control of himself - making it a goal/project. Another idea that we used with the kids was to get a small tv/dvd for the car (we had a van at the time) and let them watch pre-recorded tv shows that they like or movies they liked. It really cut down a lot of stress to do that. Also, play car games as you go - find license plates with A, B, C, etc. When he does it, though, I do think pulling over until he calms down is a good response. You don't know what he will do to express his anger and frustration. Roxanna "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Jefferson ( ) Highway Danger I wish there was an Aspie parent hotline to call when you are in the moment. I am still struggling with how to deal w/ meltdowns. Can anyone offer advice about what to do when you are on the expressway and your son is having a complete meltdown in the backseat (because something on his game went wrong or his sister looked at him), kicking the seat, screaming at the top of his lungs. I have tried to ignore, but obviously it's very nerve-wracking and dangerous. I pull over and wait due to safety concerns, but can anyone offer some strategies that have worked???? Or is it just like all meltdowns, you just let it ride its course? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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