When a child is having a temper tantrum, they can usually be calmed down by a parent removing them from the situation, ignoring them, giving them what they want, or providing incentives to calm down. However, tantrums require an audience and can be stopped by other people's actions.

Autism meltdowns can even happen when the individual is alone, as they can be triggered by unexpected changes in plans or feeling overly stressed. If a child is rewarded for good behaviour or is disciplined for bad behaviour, the incentive can stop a current tantrum or prevent future ones.Īlthough busy, public environments can trigger sensory meltdowns, they do not always require an audience, and the individual is not trying to get a reaction out of someone else. Unlike autism meltdowns, tantrums can be, and often are, shaped by rewards. Providing them with incentives, rewards, or punishment cannot stop them from having an autism meltdown it won't influence their brain's ability to process an overload of information. If an individual is experiencing an autism meltdown, their reaction or future reactions cannot be shaped by rewards. Most children progress beyond tantrums as a way of communicating when they are very young, as they become more capable of voicing their displeasure and have more agency. However, an adult is much less likely to have a tantrum than a child. Adults with autism may have learned masking techniques to disguise meltdowns. However, autism meltdowns can feel worse for children because they are less likely to understand what is happening or be able to remove themselves from a situation. Sometimes, too much unpredictability or change in routine can trigger a meltdown.Ī sensory meltdown can occur at any point across an individual's lifetime. Remember that the trigger may not seem like a big deal to a neurotypical person or even to another autistic person, so it's important not to dismiss an autistic person if they say they are uncomfortable. When it comes to autism meltdowns, various environmental factors can affect different people. Tantrums are not usually a result of sensory overload, and they can be worsened by tiredness or hunger. Tantrums are most often caused by frustration from a child not being able or allowed to do something. In both meltdowns and tantrums, the caregiver should pay attention to what might have caused it and why the child might be reacting the way they are.

For other signs of autism in children, check out our blog post. The key difference between a tantrum vs a meltdown is that a tantrum is a choice, aimed at reaching a goal, and can be stopped, while a meltdown is an involuntary response to a stimulus.Īutistic children can experience both tantrums and meltdowns, so it's essential to understand their causes and symptoms.

Individuals may be triggered by different things, react differently and need different strategies to calm down and recover.ħ Differences Between Tantrums vs Autism Meltdowns Consequently, the individual can temporarily lose control and react in extreme ways (often either explosively or by shutting down).Īll autistic people are different, and the autistic experience is even different between boys and girls. In this post, we're going to discuss seven differences between autism meltdowns vs tantrums, some signs that a meltdown is occurring or impending, and some strategies to help someone who is having a meltdown.Īn autistic meltdown, also known as a sensory meltdown, occurs when somebody is completely overwhelmed by their surroundings, and their brain struggles to process the volume of information that it's receiving. To help those who suffer from sensory meltdowns, it's essential to be able to differentiate tantrums vs meltdowns. However, autistic meltdowns do not always look like this, and their root cause is fundamentally different from a tantrum. To most people looking from the outside, the differences between tantrums vs meltdowns can appear almost indistinguishable if you don't know what to look for - after all, both autistic meltdowns and temper tantrums can incorporate screaming, crying and kicking.

Sensory meltdown in toddlers