If you've been reading my posts so far, you probably have a good understanding of autism now but I feel as though some things need to be explained in larger detail so the first post in this series of posts is shut downs, quite possibly one of the scariest things that an autistic person experiences.
So, an autistic shut down is when someone has an extreme and intense response to overwhelming emotional overload and exhaustion which is caused by exposure to triggers, this is caused by emotional, sensory and cognitive overwhelm. Aswell as this, shut downs are often result of low self esteem, loneliness and depression. The last cause I am going to talk about could be because of a recent event or memories of something that had hurt you in the past, this reason is most likely in adults whereas for children, a shut down could occur from something as simple as not having the correct breakfast cereal. The shut down is usually unpredictable and temporary however it can last for long periods of time too.
Some of the behaviours that can occur during a shut down can include crawling into the foetal position, crawling under objects or laying face down under covers in the dark. During shut downs, for me and after research I discovered numerous others, it feels quite genuinely impossible to move and nothing feels like it's going to help restore your ability to move around. Personally, during shut downs, I do nothing of the above but I tend to just sit completely still as I feel scared and unable to move but like I say, no two people on the autistic spectrum are the same. Aswell as this, my mouth goes completely numb and I get an incredibly sick feeling which stops me from talking or doing anything to prevent myself from it happening - it's really not nice at all.
Sadly, many cases of shut downs often result in self harm so please, if you know of somebody with autism, particularly aspergers, keep a close eye on them. This could range from pulling of hair and banging their head against a wall to being dangerously close to a suicide attempt, this proves just how bad shut downs really are and why they really shouldn't be treated lightly.
Now that you know what an autistic shut down is, time to find out what to do to help someone if they are currently experiencing a shut down:
- SUPPORT: be the calm, helpful person that everyone needs in their lives. Make your autistic friend/relative feel safe. Tell them that you are there for them and nobody will hurt them, just be comforting, it'll mean the world to them. I think the most important thing is changing the location if the current location is busy and loud but remember, you may need to help them walk as it feels impossible and you will see them staggering and struggling a lot. Minimize the amount of people around and do not focus on why the actions that the shut down has caused is wrong but focus on how to make them feel better.
- SILENCE: minimize all surrounding communication, noise and confusion. Yes, total silence is probably impossible but try not to say too much to the person or anyone else who may be in the room. During shut downs, autistic people get a lot more confused than usual and lots of words will make them feel even more overwhelmed. Something that has also been proved to help is by using simple repetitive language which is thought of as being useful, especially if it something that the person is familiar with. For example, you could offer to read them their favourite poem or anything to calm them. Finally, avoid negative commands as much as possible.
- SENSORY: try and find somewhere to sit that adds comfort or removes the stressors that fuel the shut down. Dimming lights or letting them have a place to hide often speeds recovery. Also, sensory input helps if it is familiar and enjoyed, this is especially good if it provides deep pressure or repetitive movement. Important: this is not a time to introduce something new or hug someone who resists touch.
In conclusion, as you can tell from this post, shut downs are incredibly difficult to deal with, especially when they happen so often, this usually happens for people with high functioning autism, usually referred to as aspergers syndrome like myself so if you see someone who you know has autism who appears like they are struggling, please do not think of them as exaggerating, support them as much as possibly, it'll help them more than you can ever imagine, thank you.
If you have anything that you wish for me to write about or just a general question/statement, please email me on laurynmathews2@gmail.com
Thank you a lot again for reading my posts, have a good day :)
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