{"id":118,"date":"2022-08-27T00:54:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-26T16:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projecthaans.com\/your-child-is-having-a-neuro-crash\/"},"modified":"2023-02-24T19:11:22","modified_gmt":"2023-02-24T11:11:22","slug":"your-child-is-having-a-neuro-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projecthaans.com\/ms\/your-child-is-having-a-neuro-crash\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Child is Having A Neuro-Crash"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is it, How to Spot it , and Ways to Prevent It..<\/strong><\/h3>\n

By Raun K. Kaufman<\/h4>\n
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Picture source: Pexels<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This piece was first published by Exceptional Needs Today,<\/em> here<\/em><\/a>. Subscribe to Exceptional Needs today for free <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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IF YOUR CHILD OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM HAD AN ENTIRE ASPECT OF THEIR EXISTENCE PEOPLE WEREN\u2019T SEEING, WOULD YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT? WHAT IF KNOWING ABOUT IT COULD UNLOCK\u2014AND UNRAVEL\u2014THE MOST CHALLENGING OF YOUR LOVED ONE\u2019S BEHAVIORS, REACTIONS, AND CRISES? WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF NEURO-CRASHES.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What is a Neuro-Crash? It\u2019s what happens when the imposed situation overwhelms your child or adult\u2019s brain, so their coping mechanism shuts down. (We\u2019ll get into why I use the term \u201cimposed situation\u201d in a bit.) You\u2019ve probably had your own version of a Neuro-Crash at some point (many points?) in your life. Have you ever felt so completely overloaded and overwhelmed you just couldn\u2019t take it anymore? Have you ever unexpectedly shut down, burst into tears, or lashed out at someone? These are signs of a brain that has reached its boiling point. A brain that has hit a wall. A brain that has simply had enough.<\/p>\n

And guess what? Almost every instance of an extreme behavior or reaction on your child\u2019s part is due to them having a Neuro-Crash. In fact, undiagnosed Neuro-Crashes lead to escalating, ongoing crises in the home and school. Understanding what causes Neuro-Crashes is the only way to prevent them. However, there is an elephant in the room blocking our ability to do this.<\/p>\n

The myth: The issue is your child<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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There is a pervasive misconception that your child or adult (their autism, their behavior) is the problem. I know it can seem that way to someone looking in from the outside (hint: we\u2019re all looking in from the outside), but that is not what\u2019s actually occurring.<\/p>\n

If your child were to start coughing, would you scold them or try to stop the coughing \u201cbehavior\u201d? Of course not. Because you know the coughing is the symptom. The cause might be smoke in the air, or it could be an illness. Naturally, you\u2019d then go about addressing that cause so you could help your child. If your child were in a very hot room, and they were shouting to be let out, you would never blame your child for shouting. You\u2019d let them out. But, when it comes to extreme behaviors and reactions of children and adults on the autism spectrum, we\u2019ve been taught to blame the person who is being burned instead of the fire, the person who is covering their ears instead of the siren, the person who is scratching their skin instead of the poison ivy surrounding them.<\/p>\n

What do all of these analogies have in common? They are all situations in which the person\u2019s reaction isn\u2019t the problem; it\u2019s the signal of the problem. We are often encouraged to stamp out the symptom, rather than understand and address the underlying issue. This leads us to focus on the effect instead of the cause.<\/p>\n

Hitting, yelling, having a meltdown, swearing, inconsolable crying, expressing high anxiety, exhibiting extreme behaviors\u2014these are what\u2019s happening on the outside. On the inside\u2026is a Neuro-Crash. Your loved one\u2019s brain has reached critical overload, and the less extreme things they would normally do to cope and process (stimming, putting their hands over their ears, withdrawing, making certain sounds or movements, doing something that\u2019s comforting\/enjoyable) are no longer working, or are being actively thwarted by us.<\/p>\n

So, rather than attacking our loved one\u2019s cries for help, what if we could circumvent the very factors driving them over the edge in the first place? If we want to disarm the triggers setting our kids and adults off, we have to know what they are.<\/p>\n

The seven causes of Neuro-Crashes are\u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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1. Being around an adult\/parent\/caregiver\/educator who is agitated<\/p>\n

2. Being pushed (particularly when a \u201cNo\u201d is not respected or when they are being rushed)<\/p>\n

3. Invasion of personal space (being too close, hugging them, picking them up, moving them, or taking their stuff without their permission) 4. Sensory overload<\/p>\n

5. Unpredictability (we often act in unpredictable ways, don\u2019t we?)<\/p>\n

6. Unclear boundaries (we may change rules, make exceptions, etc.)<\/p>\n

7. Bio-Storms (when something is introduced to a child or adult\u2019s extra sensitive system\u2014a food item, a chemical, etc.\u2014that causes a temporary but powerful physiological reaction)<\/p>\n

Remember the term \u201cimposed situation\u201d from earlier? That refers to the environments or conditions our children or adults are exposed to\u2014usually beyond their choosing. These seven items constitute imposed situations that make it difficult or impossible for our loved ones to function. Your child is not the problem. The imposed situation is the problem. Only by correctly diagnosing the problem can we solve it. And if we solve the problem, the signal and symptoms disappear.<\/p>\n

Solving the real problem<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Picture source: Unsplash <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

My colleague, Kate C. Wilde, and I developed five Crisis Turnaround Tools to precisely address these root causes of Neuro-Crashes. While they are comprised of many layers (Kate and I teach a course that spends two hours on each of them), there are steps and approaches you can begin taking right now:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Step 1: Start practicing a skill we call \u201cSocioception,\u201d<\/strong> which is the ability to detect your loved one\u2019s stress signals. Become a detective and hone your observational skills. Look for signs your child or adult\u2019s stress levels are rising. Are they saying \u201cNo\u201d a lot? Are their facial muscles tightening? Are they moving away from you? Are they pushing you away? If they are more verbal, is the pitch of their voice rising, or is the pace of their speech speeding up?<\/p>\n

\u2022 Step 2: Look for any opportunities you can to end or avoid control battles by giving your child more autonomy<\/strong>. Is it that important they sit at the table with everyone when they eat? Is it crucial they wear the blue shirt you picked out and not the red one they love? If there is something problematic they keep getting into (eating all the ice cream in the freezer, for instance), can you avoid that battle by not buying it at all? Every control battle avoided is a Neuro-Crash averted.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Step 3: Our loved ones on the spectrum are highly sensitive to our emotional state and level of agitation.<\/strong> Do whatever you have to do to show calmness. If you are agitated\u2014whether it\u2019s because you\u2019re frustrated with what your child is doing or upset about something else\u2014that will trigger an escalation in your child or adult\u2019s emotional agitation, and that\u2019s a fast-track to a Neuro-Crash.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Step 4: There are myriad factors outside our direct relationship with our children and adults on the spectrum that can nevertheless trigger Neuro-Crashes.<\/strong> Today, let\u2019s just take a baby step. Can you make your home environment less intrusive from a sensory standpoint? Is there background noise (lots of people talking, music not chosen by your child, someone talking loudly on the phone, a TV on in the living room, etc.) you can eliminate or tone down? What you might call making your home more \u201cboring\u201d might actually be, to your loved one, making your home more welcoming, comforting, and low stress.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Step 5: What can get overlooked in our efforts to sidestep. <\/strong>Neuro-Crashes are the positive moves we can make. Creating fun, enjoyable moments with our loved ones on the spectrum is key. Playing a game they love, giving them a deep pressure massage, showing interest in their interests, and showing appreciation and celebration can act as a kind of inoculation against Neuro-Crashes by building trust and acclimating their brain to a state other than fight-or-flight survival mode.<\/p>\n

A special connection<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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I\u2019ve been where your loved one is, so I know what they are capable of if approached in a way that goes with their specialness, not against it. As a child, I was diagnosed with severe autism. I had no language and was completely enveloped in my own world. My parents were told I had an IQ below 30 and would need to be permanently institutionalized when I got older.<\/p>\n

My parents turned their backs on those prognoses. To help me, they created The Son-Rise Program\u00ae and worked with me one-on-one for over three years. Their work enabled me to blossom into a very social, highly communicative boy and conquer my challenges. Rather than trying to force me to conform to a world I did not yet understand, they joined me in my world first. Instead of stamping out my so-called symptoms, they sought to address what was going on underneath. So, my own life is a testament to the value of listening to the person\u2019s signals, looking for root causes, seeking to understand, and creating a universe in which people on the spectrum are embraced. That\u2019s a world where, no matter where they\u2019re starting from, your loved one can thrive.<\/p>\n

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To learn more about the ACT Protocol, visit the website here<\/a>. The ACT Protocol consists of 3 steps. The first step is a free video introducing the approach, here<\/a>. The speakers on the video are Raun Kaufman and Kate C. Wilde.<\/a> Step two is an instant mini course available online at USD75 with an all family access. Step three is the Autism Crisis Turnaround Live Rescue Course which is a live online workshop over 2-days. Participation fee per person is USD395. The next Live Rescue Course will be held on 3 and 4 October (Eastern Standard Timezone). Click here<\/a> to sign up.<\/p>\n

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Raun K. Kaufman is from the United States of America.
\n<\/span>Raun is the\u00a0<\/span>author<\/strong>\u00a0of the book,\u00a0<\/span>Autism Breakthrough<\/em><\/strong>: The Groundbreaking Method That Has Helped Families All Over the World<\/em>\u00a0and the\u00a0<\/span>former CEO<\/strong>\u00a0of the Autism Treatment Center of America\u00ae.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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