THE SIX PHASE MELTDOWN CYCLE

PHASES 4 TO 6
 PHASE 4

MELTDOWN
6
 Phase 4: MELTDOWN

Overall behavior is out of control

Serious destruction of property

Physical attacks/aggression
Self-abuse/self injury
Screaming
Swearing
Running Away
 Interventions
Phase 4: Meltdown

• Put safety first

• Understand Meltdowns will run their course
• Use S.C.A.R.E.D. Calming technique
 S.C.A.R.E.D.*

◆ Safe
◆ Calm
Affirmations
Routine
Empathy
Document
* Adapted from Managing Meltdowns by Deborah Lipsky & Will Richards
 Safe*
❑ Do
❑ Don’t
❑ Remain Calm
❑ Attempt to restrain the
❑ Reduce level of sensory
individual
stimulation
❑ Don’t ask open ended
❑ Try to determine if the
questions like “;Are you
individual is injured
ok?” or “Do you need
❑ Talk directly to the help?”
person
❑ Do not present a show of
❑ Provide reassuring, force.
declarative statements
❑ Don’t leave the
❑ Take a submissive stance individual alone
* From Managing Meltdowns
 Calm*
❑ Do ❑ Don’t
❑ Talk in a calm, reassuring ❑ Display an agitated
voice negative presence
❑ Communicate ❑ Say that the meltdown
understanding that the must stop immediately
meltdown will take its ❑ Raise voice and speak
time rapidly
❑ Make supportive ❑ Crowd the person
comments ❑ Try to reason or talk the
❑ Talk in a low voice and person through it
slow speech down
❑ Give the individual space
*From Managing Meltdowns
 Affirmations*
❑ Do ❑ Don’t
❑ Refer to the person by
name
❑ Make supportive
statements indicating
that you do understand
that the individual is
stressed
❑ State that your role is
to stay with him or her
until they regain
composure no matter
how long it takes
❑ Actively listen
❑ Overwhelm with many
questions
❑ Do not talk as if the
individual is not
present
❑ Do not challenge the
person or challenge
their feelings
❑ Do not assume that if
they are not speaking
that they do not
understand
*From Managing Meltdowns
 Routine*
❑ Do ❑ Don’t
❑ Remember that ❑ Assume a routine is an
routines reduce act of defiance
uncertainty ❑ Interrupt a routine
❑ Walking is a good ❑ Talk about the routine
calming routine in a derogatory fashion
❑ Allow the individual to ❑ Try to talk the
engage in routine, individual out of a
ritualized, or repetitive routine
behavior
*From Managing Meltdowns
 Empathy*
❑ Do
❑ Reassure the individual
and let them know they
are not alone
❑ Acknowledge and
validate their fear
❑ Accept the individual
nonjudgmentally
❑ Use a clear, low voice
❑ Mirror physical behavior
*From Managing Meltdowns
❑ Don’t
❑ Lecture about how their
behavior scares others
❑ Assume that they do not
have powerful feelings
❑ Take it personally
❑ Ask them what they are
feeling
❑ Minimize what they are
experiencing
 Document the Meltdown Incident
Name_______________ Date__________________
Location____________ Staff name__________________
Start Time of Incident______ End Time____________Duration_______
Report of any injuries__________________________________________
Initial Step taken by staff member _______________________________
_____________________________________________________________
List of possible triggers________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
List of agitation signs__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Behaviors during meltdown_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Transition stages from meltdown to recovery_____________________
_____________________________________________________________
Additional steps taken_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
 PHASE 5

REGROUPING
6
 Phase 5: RE-GROUPING
Overall person with challenging behaviors
withdraws and displays confusion

Withdrawal and confusion

May become sullen and engage in denial
Responsiveness to concrete directions
Responsiveness to manipulative or
mechanical tasks
Responsiveness to special interests
 Interventions
Phase V: Regrouping
1. Allow individual to sleep if necessary
2. Do not refer to the meltdown
3. Do not make excessive demands
4. Redirect to special activity or interest
5. Allow time, don’t rush
6. Go slow and be calming
 PHASE 6

STARTING OVER
6
Phase 6: STARTING OVER

Overall individual is responsive to concrete tasks

and reluctant to interact

Eagerness for independent work or activity

Subdued behavior
Increased focus
Becomes more settled
 Interventions
Phase 6: Starting Over

1. Review – the entire incident

2. Rehearse – consider possible other responses
3. Repair – allow opportunity to repair relationship
LONG-TERM INTERVENTIONS
 Long-Term Interventions
▪️ STEP 1 -- CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT

▪️ STEP 2 -- DEVELOP INTERVENTION PLAN

▪️ STEP 3 – DESIGN INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCES

▪️ STEP 4 – TEACH THE SKILLS

 Questions?
• If time I will briefly review the long-term
intervention process after questions
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Book
by
Geoff Colvin &
Martin R. Sheehan
Topic: Managing the Cycle of Meltdowns for
Students with ASD
Available at: Amazon
 Closing Remarks
A famous sculptor was once asked:

“How can you make such a beautiful statue out of

a piece of stone?”

His reply was remarkably simple:

“The statue is already in the stone. All I do is chip

away at the residue”
Who Said That?
Michelangelo
 Contact Presenter
Martin R. Sheehan, Ph.D.
Visit my YouTube Channel – Healthy Lifestyle
Learning Academy -- https://tinyurl.com/rctm4jww

docmartin817@yahoo.com
Here are my websites
https://www.doublesinstructional.com
https://www.childrenthechallenge.com
https://www.habitbusters.org
 Long-Term Interventions
▪️ STEP 1 -- CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT

▪️ STEP 2 -- DEVELOP INTERVENTION PLAN

▪️ STEP 3 – DESIGN INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCES

▪️ STEP 4 – TEACH THE SKILLS

 STEP 1
CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT

• Presenting Problem Behavior

• Developmental History
• Medical History
• Social-Emotional Development Assessment
• Sensory Processing Questionnaire
• Child Assessment Checklist
• Process-Based Functional Assessment
 Step 2
Develop an Intervention Plan
Foundations
• Use DIR Floortime Approach
• Use Mindfulness – Mindful Pause
• Use Small Step Approach
• Healthy Lifestyle Learning Academy
YouTube Channel-- https://bit.ly/3j88mGe
 Step2 -- continued
Develop an Intervention Plan
Four Components
a. Special Time
b. Problem Solving
c. Mindful Pause
d. Limit Setting
 Step 2c
an example of one of the components

The Mindful Pause

• Two Minute Mindful Breathing

• Palms of the Hands
• Soles of the Feet
• Urge Surfing
 Step 3
Design the Instructional
Sequences

• Use Direct Instruction Response Locus Analysis

• -- for example

1. Identify key ideas

2. Present positive and negative examples
3. Organize key ideas into tracks
4. Frequently ask for responses
 Step 4
Teach the skills

Use Behavior Skills Training Procedures

• Model
• Instruct
• Rehearse
• Provide Feedback