28. Are Big Meltdowns Causing Trauma for Kids with Autism? What we know…

<p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A few months ago, I went through one of the hardest nervous system experiences of my life.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">As I worked through the weeks that followed, I couldn't stop thinking about the kids with autism I've worked with for over 20 years... and one question kept coming back to me.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Could big meltdowns actually leave a child's nervous system stuck in a cycle that's much harder to escape than we realize?</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In this episode, I share my own experience, the emerging research that's starting to explore this idea, and why I think looking beyond behavior may completely change how we support autistic kids with frequent meltdowns. If your child seems to get caught in the same cycle over and over again, I hope this conversation gives you a new way to think about what's happening underneath the surface.</span></p><p><br></p><p><strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Resources Mentioned</strong></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Get a seat in the new Beyond Behavior—Thriving with Autism Workshop: on Aug 19 (replay provided): </span><a href="https://yourkidstable.com/autism/ " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://yourkidstable.com/autism/ </a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Studies mentioned:</strong></p><p><a href="https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10209395/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10209395/</a></p><p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41868251/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41868251/</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Key Timestamps:</strong></p><p><strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">2:10</strong><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> my first panic attach</span></p><p><strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">7:15</strong><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> The connection to autism?</span></p><p><strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">12:00</strong><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> A new way to think about meltdowns</span></p><p><strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">18:00</strong><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> What the research is saying</span></p><p><strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">24:15</strong><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Where do we go from here?</span></p><p><br></p><p></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- </span><a href="https://yourkidstable.com/TCH" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH</a></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">LET'S CONNECT:</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Instagram: </span><a href="https://instagram.com/Yourkidstable" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 8