If not dealt with at a young age, this behavior can extend well into the teenager years, becoming more severe and difficult as a child ages. While young infants and toddlers don’t yet understand manipulation and have tantrums as a result of expression, older children may use tantrums to manipulate their parents into getting what they want. Because children of this age often lack the vocabulary needed to express how they feel, and so they release their emotions as tantrums instead.Īs a child becomes older, tantrums can also be used as a way of testing limits. They may symbolize that a child is tired, hungry, sad, angry, or upset.

Tantrums usually start in late infancy or early toddlerhood and are an expression of a want or a need. The difference between tantrums and meltdowns then isn’t in the behavior, it’s in the reason behind the behavior. In each, a child may throw themselves on the floor, hit, kick, scream, or even hold their breath. The truth is that tantrums and meltdowns can both look very similar. doi:10.4103%2FIJPSYM.What is the Difference between a Tantrum and a Meltdown? Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. Stress and coping styles in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Parents of child with autism seek help with public meltdowns. Aggression in autism spectrum disorder: presentation and treatment options. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.006.įitzpatrick SE, Srivotakiat L, Wink LK, Pedapati EV, Erickson CA. The role of emotion regulation in autism spectrum disorder. Mazefsky CA, Herrington J, Siegel M, et al. In: Mental Disorders and Disabilities Among Low-Income Children. Clinical characteristics of autism spectrum disorder. Comparative Study Res Dev Disabil. 2013 Sep 34(9):2669-75. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.04.022īoat TF, Wu JT, Committee to Evaluate the Supplemental Security Income Disability Program for Children with Mental Disorders, et al.

A comparison of tantrum behavior profiles in children with ASD, ADHD and comorbid ASD and ADHD. Goldin RL, Matson JL, Tureck K, Cervantes PE, Jang J. By contrast, autistic tantrums are not manipulative: they are genuine cries of distress. Typical tantrums are often manipulative in which a child learns that they can get what they want if they cry or scream. Meltdowns may involve intense stimming: Rumblings may include or progress to 'stims' (self-stimulatory behaviors such as rocking, pacing, or finger flicking) or other signs of anxiety. Stims are self-calming techniques used by people with autism to help regulate anxiety or sensory input. If you see a person with autism rocking back and forth or pacing there's a good chance that they are feeling stressed (or, alternately, feeling excited).Rumblings might start with a verbal plea to 'go now' or visually obvious signs of distress such as hands over the ears. Autistic meltdowns generally begin with warning signals called 'rumblings.' Rumblings are outward signs of distress that can either be obvious or subtle. Meltdowns are preceded by signs of distress.

Adolescents, teens, and even adults with autism may have meltdowns and, surprisingly, they may occur even among individuals with high functioning forms of autism. Autistic meltdowns are not limited to young children on the spectrum.

Meltdowns are not limited to children.

Meltdown vs tantrum