avoiding the 'total meltdown"

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I was wondering if anyone has the same issues as us. We learned about a year ago that if we dont intervene and redirect my daughter when she goes into meltdown mode she starts hurting herself....flinging herself at the floor, head banging and ripping out her hair. Im know some kids are ok just letting it all out, like my son, but my daughter just escalates. Right now she is having issues due to the fact that it is getting hotter....she hates being hot. She comes home from school and looses it. I give her water and try different things but the one thing that ALWAYS works, at least for the time being, is letting her listen to "facination" by the Human League (band from the 80s) on my I Pod over and over and over. It makes her soooooo happy. Its like a meltdown shut off button.

Wow! You're lucky you've found a meltdown shut off button. I need to find one of those!

My daughter also becomes self abusive during a meltdown. They are not as frequent as they once were but when they come it knocks our entire world off it's axis. Some of hers can be so disturbing it can take weeks to get back on even keel. Maybe I need to check out this "fascination" song!

That song drives my poor husband nuts....hes like "NOOOOO, not Facination again!! !" Sometimes I have to play it in the car. Im trying not to over use it too much though because Im afraid it will loose its magic effect.

I think we've done something similar. There is a point of no return in the meltdown process, which can be somewhat unique to each individual. If the situation is not mitigated before you reach that point, it won't be. Over time, you learn the steps leading up to it, and where it is. I think Tracker in the book he is working on has a description of how he views the meltdown process and why you can't stop it at a certain point.

Definitely learn where the point is and all the signs that happen before.