What To Do If Your Child Has A Meltdown

Little boy crying

Ever had your child meltdown in public and not know what to do? I’ve seen too many to count, especially living in Orlando and visiting Disney. The pediatric occupational therapist in me wants to always jump in and help. But how weird would you feel if a stranger came up to you and said “hey, let me help you calm your kid” as they’re kicking, and banging their fists on the ground.

So instead… I’m writing this blog.

Sensory meltdowns in children can be a difficult experience for both the child and you, their caregivers.

But lucky for you there are a couple tools that can help you manage these situations and decrease everyone’s stress. Knowing these strategies ahead of time can make all the difference when a meltdown is occurring. It’s like your emergency preparedness plan… just for your child.

One of the most important things to do when your child is experiencing a sensory meltdown is to remain calm.

This is called co-regulation.

Why is co-regulation important for regulating your child?

This is when we help a child to regulate through modeling while providing support.

It often gets confused with self-regulation but in reality co-regulation needs to happen first. The child needs to understand what regulation is, looks, and feels like. Think about a newborn understanding when they get picked up and rocked, their body feels calm.

After, self-regulation can happen! Because self-regulation is the child’s ability to regulate their bodies or arousal level to meet the demands of their environment or situation. It’s their ability to keep and maintain a calm energy. This they learn to do on their own.

Strategies for co-regulating with your child

Co-regulation may look different for each family, and also depending on the age of the child. It could consist of giving deep hugs, singing a song, taking a break together, blowing bubbles together, or practicing deep breathing. This is the starting point. Getting them to shift out of complete overwhelm and be available to engage.

Next, provide sensory input. What does this mean? There are many strategies that use sensory input for calming. Here are some simple suggestions to return to a calm state. Just remember that every child’s needs are unique, and therefore a strategy that has worked for one child might not work for the next.

Proprioceptive Strategies

You want to provide opportunities for heavy work. This could include animal walks, hugs, yoga practice, carrying heavy items, pushing or pulling heavy items.

Vestibular Strategies

Proving calm rocking or using a swing in a slow, linear manner.

Auditory Strategies

Listening to calming music, using headphones to drown out other sounds, or even using noise canceling headphones are great.

Tactile Strategies

You can perform simple massages. This type of input provides deep pressure and calming. Using lotion is also helpful, especially if your child can tolerate calming smells like lavender. Using vibrating tools can also help.

Oral Strategies

Strategies such as deep breathing, bubble blowing, and chewing gum or resistive food provides oral calming strategies.

Olfactory Strategies

Smells, if your child can tolerate it, can be calming when using essential oils.

Visual Strategies

Reading, or watching a LED calming light or lava lamp can redirection a child to calm.

Samantha Stiles, MS, OTR/L 

CEO, Occupational Therapist

As a pediatric therapist I know what it takes to really address feeding, sensory, and emotional challenges in children. I’m talking the kind of exponential growth that changes the course of lives. But this type of transformation requires time, parent involvement, and extra guidance.

When parents arrive inside the world of Empower Kids Therapy, they find a fresh spark of hope, a different way of thinking, and a sense of being understood.

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Ms.Sam - Pediatric Occupational Therapist

In-home occupational therapy services focused on sensory processing, feeding & infant development
📍 Orlando, FL
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Exciting news! We’re partnering with The Nurture Place to bring you a monthly support group designed specifically for parents of children with sensory challenges.
 
Discovering your child has sensory processing differences can feel overwhelming. Finding the right specialists and strategies shouldn’t mean navigating it all alone. This group is here to provide connection, encouragement, and practical tools from experts and other parents who truly get it.
 
The Support Group Will Provide:
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Date: The third Thursday of each month, starting in October
Time: 6:30 - 7:30 PM
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Call or email to register!
Space is limited, and we would love to see you there.

Contact The Nurture Place
 (407) 204-1101
www.thenurtureplace.org
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From choosing soft fabrics to practicing trick-or-treat runs, these small steps make a big difference for sensory-friendly celebrations.

Save this post for later, and stay tuned for part two, we’ll be sharing even more tips to help your little one enjoy every spooky moment! 🎃💛

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If your sensory child feels anxious about trick-or-treating, start at home.

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In-home OT builds those same skills every week: regulation, routine, and readiness for new experiences.

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