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The Meltdown Kids [Box Set of 7 books]

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The Meltdown Kids by Linda Plowden

The Meltdown Kids are here! This series of seven illustrated story books explain why some children get upset in seemingly ordinary situations and what can be done to help them.

The books show that meltdowns can occur not because a child is being naughty but because he or she is scared and overwhelmed. The Meltdown Kids books explain that the root cause of many meltdowns is fear and anxiety.

These books are suitable for anyone but will be particularly useful for children with a diagnosable disorder such as Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), autism, ADHD and attachment disorder.

Through entertaining and engaging stories that both children and parents can enjoy, The Meltdown Kids books deal with typical stories, whether at home, school or when out and about. They explain what triggers a meltdown, the form they take and they introduce strategies to help manage the meltdown and prevent them from happening in the first place.

Mayhem Monday

Jody is a little girl who is over sensitive to how clothes feel. She also loves being at home with her mum and dad and doesn’t really like going to school. Every Monday she has a meltdown about going to school. She distracts her parents and keeps going back to bed every time they try to get her out and dressed. She is also very picky about what clothes she wears and she only likes her familiar old clothes and hates the feel of newly washed clothing. The parents struggle to get her to school and there is the added pressure of her older sister needing to be on time too. Eventually they see an OT who helps them understand about her sensory processing difficulties relating to touch and once they understand her better and buy her the right type of socks, and do a few warming up (alerting) exercises each morning, they have success. 

Tricky Tuesday 

William is a young boy with Autism and sensory processing difficulties. He hates change and when his teacher and his seating position are changed he becomes really upset and finds it hard to focus. He also hates being touched unexpectedly and feels as if a brush past is like a thump, which can trigger a meltdown. He runs away and climbs a tree to regulate himself as climbing against gravity is what calms him down most. His mum and little sister understand him and his mum nurtures him with a cracker, cheese and a drink of water. School has to realise that small changes will trigger him unnecessarily and where he sits in the class is vital to him feeling safe.

Wobbly Wednesday

Ben has a diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), sometimes known as Dyspraxia meaning he finds gross motor and fine motor coordination skills very difficult. He feels as though he is bad at sports and other children make fun of him at school. His meltdown is going into freeze by daydreaming and, in such a state, he cannot function effectively. Children like Ben typically do very well with input from a Paediatric Occupational Therapist or following a skills program at home and school. Building up his confidence through practice is what makes a difference to a child like Ben.

Terrible Thursday

Katie struggles with visual perception. She struggles with reading and spelling and finds that the words and letters in front of her are jumbled when she tries to read. She is easily overloaded by visual sensory input, such as bright lights, and is easily confused with too much auditory information. She could be diagnosed with Dyslexia and Sensory Processing Disorder . Many children with Dyslexia also find remembering lists/sequences hard and have poor working memory. This book gives an example of how difficult and confusing everyday situations can be and how scared a child can become if they are not able to succeed. Katie goes into freeze collapse when she is overloaded by the bright lights of the supermarket and experiences sensory overload. This is a very common problem in children with sensory processing difficulties. Allowing Katie to eat something as she walks around can be a good strategy for regulation, as sucking is calming.

Frightening Friday

Jack is impulsive and rigid in his behaviour. He has sensory processing issues related to oral sensitivities. He is anxious and he becomes overwhelmed by being out of routine and is extremely fussy about how food is presented and what he will eat. He is hypervigilant, constantly checking out new environments as they feel scary and out of his control, so when his stepdad does not let him sit in his preferred spot with his back to the wall - so that he can monitor his surroundings - he explodes. Being hungry and disappointed that the food is not what he expected triggers him into fight mode, throwing food, being rude and feeling angry and out of control. He has to be removed from the situation for his own and other’s safety, and sucking on a sweet and talking about the incident is an effective way to help him explain why he became so upset and dysregulated. Allowing him strategies to prevent the next meltdown e.g. having an iPad while he waits, his position in the room, and having his food presented in a particular way, will all help Jack to know what to expect.

Scary Saturday

Nathan is a sensory seeker and is impulsive. He also has ADHD . He loves to 'crash and bang', which is a proprioceptive seeking behaviour, i.e. jumping into the pool. Children like him also love to swim under water but cannot cope with lessons. He is aggressive towards others to keep attention on him, e.g. splashing or dive bombing, being loud and out of control.

Nathan struggles with the sensory overload of feeling wet and not being able to get his clothes on quickly after swimming. Using strategies like sprinkling talc can really help children like Nathan not to be overwhelmed in the changing rooms. Swimming pools are often noisy and children can be also be triggered by noise.

Nathan is also jealous of his brother having a birthday party as his brother is getting all the attention. To some extent he feels abandoned by his parents as they are not paying him attention. He has to up the ante by creating situations which bring attention back to him, whether positive or negative.

Understanding what is regulating for Nathan (allowing him to jump in and out of the pool) and letting him have job to do (to make him feel important) such as blowing up balloons will also keep him regulated physically.

Stressful Sunday

Ryan is a young boy who is very disorganised. He always forgets his homework tasks and leaves things far too late: telling his mum he has an art project to complete by Monday on Sunday night! He is not very good at making things as is quite dyspraxic and cannot cut and glue very well. He has a massive tantrum as he cannot make his castle so the parents help him make one (by making it themselves) . He is then referred to the SENCO at school who helps him use IT strategies instead of expecting him to remember things himself. “Show my homework” and using a calendar on an iPad help him stay organised.  

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