Need your help with a term to use during a meltdown

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I'm not posting this on the parent board, because I want people who did have melt downs in school comment.

My ASD student has some fairly bad melt downs (after school program, and I'm not a special ed teacher, and she/he is in a general class with no official services).

This is 90% of the time how it occurs.

ASD kid and ADHD+add other psychiatric problem of choice are playing. ASD kid has no social skills, and takes block/whatever from other kid. Of course, the other kid explodes with rage.

My ASD child has no clue what happened. Screams and kicks toys. (mind you there are 60 kids in the room, and I try and get over there as quickly as possible).

If the child is not ready to run, I walk with her/him to the chair away from the door, in the hallway. No eye contact, and I talk in a voice you would use during test taking time.

I say, "You are not in trouble, we need (seriously after that melee, I need it too) some brain and body quiet. Don't worry about what is going on in there. We'll be here for 3 minutes."

Three minutes is as short of time to calm the chaos in the other room.

So the child sits. I don't say anything, and sort of stand away. Now I have to watch more because if the child runs, and makes it out the building, I can not run after her/him outside. I have to call the police. That is a whole other nightmare.

This last time, the ASD child sat about 8 minutes, I heard from older sib that K. had a melt down in class and tried to run. Older sib wanted to show him/her what he/she made with some block toys. I'm lucky. At least the ASD child will listen to the siblings. ASD child perked up some, and wanted to go back with the sibling.

My question is what to call the "time out"? Time out usually=you are being punished, and that is how the ASD child understands it. So I stopped using it. The child isn't bad at all, just the kid that she/he is playing with has a frustration tolerance of a rabid dog.

I call it "brain and body quiet" because the child told me, "My brain hurts and is too loud, and my body is loud."

The one part I absolutely hate, is I now have to hold the child's wrist and guide her/him into the hallway. This is because of the running, and she/he can run incredible fast. Before it was just running in our large play area, now it is straight to an outside door.

Not optimal at all. I'm have no special education instruction. The child has no services in school, so I can't even ask and AI teacher what they do. And no, I can't ask them a general question. Won't even give me the time of day.

So, what term would you use for a "safe, quiet place." that doesn't sound like a punishment or too special education?

Remember anything I do at my job is like working in the ER. We are just trying to stop the bleeding and not fine tuning.

Thanks for your help. I do care about this child.

Tawaki

Does the child respond positively to the "brain and body quiet" title? If it works, I don't see any reason to change it.

What are some sensory soothing things the child responds to? If they, for example, liked being under a dark, heavy blanket with headphones on listening to music, maybe a "brain and body quiet zone" could be constructed, where the child could go on there own?

I agree with the OP. I do not know how much you can reason with the child but it probably seeks som sort of safe zone (?). Can you construct a safe cave/blanket/hideaway for it to run to and can you agree that this would be the spot to run to?

What are the sensory issues? sound, light or ?

that's exactly where my mind went. when I'm overstimulated I love very dim, multicolored lighting. they make these amazing stained-glass lightbulbs that I put in my primary "up-lamp" and even when I'm completely calm I prefer dim over bright. I like fans, they provide white noise and one of my really really big triggers is being too hot. a factor that lead to my diagnosis was the fact I unconsciously sway in front of air conditioning vents when I've just come in from hot weather, ostensibly to "spread the air around" but it's basically a stim thing.

I also like things like those little twisty-rings, snap bracelets, and other fidget toys (though be careful, I'm 25 and freak out a little if I leave my stim toy at home. if you're teaching young kids don't get them attached to any stim toys they might lose or break cause that can stress me out for weeks.)

maybe a beanbag chair? I mean he doesn't need a "reward for upsetting people lounge" but my mind definitely went immediately to the environment of the room and not what you call it. call it anything that isn't overtly humiliating and I wouldn't have cared, I'd just be excited if things were richly/darkly colored or dimly lit, like strings of christmas lights behind a scarf or something, and there was somewhere comfortable and easy to hide in/manipulate. they used to make this folding furniture that was basically a giant firm pillow that could be a chair or a bed or something in between...

I'm already on the borderline on what I offer for a safety zone. I'm not supposed to leave the main area AT ALL. My concession is the chair is in the hallway, and I can stand in the doorway, and "watch the other kids".

We tried the tent (which had to stay in the large group room-there is not a quiet area at all in there), and the older kids called it a "Tard Tent." Anyone could use it, but after that no one would. Or they would throw stuff at it. Or bang on the side. Then the supervisor said it had to come down for safety issues??

All the suggestions are wonderful, and I wish I could do them. My supervisor doesn't care, and doesn't buy the ASD diagnosis at all. There are parents already crabbing we spent to much time with the "special needs kids". (includes all the kids with behavioral issues).

If I make too big of a deal, the kiddo will be removed, as we aren't allowed to provide "services", and mom has NOT said the child has ASD. The child's teacher told me that on the down low. The parent has said nothing.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

Tawaki