Meltdown

A meltdown is a behavior that happens to autistic people when they are overwhelmed, overstimulated, or feeling other strong emotions. It is very important to note that a meltdown is not a tantrum. The differences are listed below:

Meltdown:

• Involuntary
• Not the autistic person's fault
• Due to emotional or sensory reasons
• Common for some autistic people (others may experience shutdowns instead)
• May be unaware of what is going on around them

Tantrum:

• Due to someone wanting something they cannot have
• (Uncontrolled) outburst of anger
• Common for younger children
• The person or child will occasionally check other's reactions to see if the tantrum is working