Does this sound like shutdown in a child

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Curling up on the floor of a crowded noisy room, not responding to anyone or anything. Being floppy and unresponsive. Being in a sleep like trance (eyes closed) for 5-10 min and being startled when emerging out of it.

That's pretty much been my experience with shutdowns, of which I have had many.

Ok, I figured. Thanks. I am starting to think I might have two autistic daughters, entirely different in every way. My diagnosed aspie girl has never done that, she is the externalising meltdown kind of person, this was my little one.

I can go either way, but the curl up in a ball shutdown is more common when it comes to sensory overload. Also on occasion I go into the catatonic version with my eyes open and slack jawed. So if that happens It's not too uncommon. I'm told It's spooky to observe. Like I am in a trance all glassy eyed. Lasts a few minutes and then I snap out of it.

Edit: I imagine I look like this image of autistic catatonia

Thanks Ezra, that is really helpful. It has only happened once so far and I wasn't there so just have playgroup staff's description of it. It fits that it was a response to sensory overload as she sometimes finds it quite large and noisy. She had her eyes closed though. Will keep a watch and see what happens. Thanks for your help.

That's good it's only happened once.

I remember when I was 9 I was sitting in the waiting-room in the vets, and there were 2 big dogs in there, they were probably bigger than me. They kept barking really loudly and unpredictably, and it frightened me to death. I got behind the chairs and sat on the floor with my hands over my ears until the dogs were gone. I think they frightened me more than they frightened my cats (the cats were in a cage). I don't know if this counts as a meltdown though, or if it was just a natural response from a child with an anxiety of dogs and loud noises. When the dogs went out of the room, my dad tapped me and told me they were gone, and I went to sit back on the chair, feeling more relaxed. Then another dog entered the room, and I got anxious again, but didn't hide away. I just grabbed my dad's hand and said, "Daddy, there's another dog in here." I don't remember what happened after that.

Can I ask when yours started?

I asked her if she remembered anything about it. She is only little - 3.5 years, and I was surprised she had a very vivid memory of the incident. She had felt that a particular child was being mean to her and had lain down as she felt sad. The teachers found her all curled up and non-responsive. She said she was asleep but had still noticed that someone had picked her up and knew who that someone was as they were "warm" and so she knew it to be her designated teacher. It lasted 8 minutes of her being in this sleep like trance.