A refusal, a frustration, a screen being switched off, and then the explosion: shouting, crying, objects thrown. Meltdowns are common in children with ADHD. They exhaust the whole family. Here is how to understand them and respond. Understanding meltdowns helps you respond with more calm and effectiveness.
Children with ADHD often find it hard to regulate their emotions. A frustration can trigger a very intense reaction that overwhelms the child. They are not manipulating: they are overwhelmed.
Tiredness, hunger and difficult transitions increase the risk.
We explain this point in more detail in ADHD and executive functions.
Note when meltdowns occur: switching off a screen, homework, end of the day, refusal. Identifying triggers makes it possible to anticipate them. A logbook helps to spot these moments.
This topic is covered in our page ADHD and video games.
Announcing changes in advance, avoiding tiredness and hunger, offering choices, giving clear instructions: prevention is more effective than management. These precautions avoid many meltdowns.
You will find more details in the article ADHD and routines.
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Stay calm, speak little, keep the child and others safe, offer a quiet place. Do not try to reason with the child during the meltdown. Your calm helps them recover more quickly.
Our article ADHD and anger complements this advice.
Once the child has calmed down, talk about what happened, without making them feel guilty. Look together for what could help next time. These exchanges help them better understand their emotions.
To go further, see Explaining ADHD to your child.
parent guidance programmes offer practical tools to better manage meltdowns. These programmes restore parents’ confidence.
The article Parent guidance and ADHD covers this question in detail.
If meltdowns are very frequent, very violent or put the child in danger, speak to your GP. A professional can suggest suitable support.
This point is explained step by step in ADHD: the role of the GP.
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Because they find it hard to regulate their emotions. They find it hard to regulate their emotions.
Stay calm, speak little and keep the child safe. Identify the triggers.
By identifying triggers and announcing changes. Stay calm during a meltdown.
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