Navigating Autism Together Through Social Emotional Learning
Five o’clock pickup. Every day.
I watch Adrián walk out of school, and I can see it, the weight he’s been carrying all day finally starting to show.
His shoulders are tense. His face is tight. His usual animated energy? Gone!
By the time we get to the car, he’s barely speaking. And by the time we get home? Full meltdown!
The first time Adrián had a public meltdown, I felt like the entire world was watching me fail as a mother.
We were at a park, should have been joyful, playful. Instead, I was sitting on a bench with my 3-year-old son, both of us crying, while nobody could help us.
I didn’t understand what was happening. I didn’t know how to help him. And I felt so utterly, completely alone.
That park moment? That’s where “Autism: Calming the Chaos” was born……
Understanding the difference between meltdowns and tantrums in autistic children aids effective support. Use emotional regulation strategies, create supportive environments, seek resources, and celebrate neurodiversity.
This guide offers autism parenting insights, practical strategies, community support, SEL tools, empowerment techniques, and authentic literature to foster understanding, growth, and connection.
If you’re feeling a quiet sense of dread mixed with the holiday excitement, you’re not alone. Thanksgiving can feel like the ultimate test for autism families , a day packed with sensory landmines, social expectations, and the pressure to create “perfect” memories.
It’s 2 AM the night before our family gathering, and I’m lying awake running through worst-case scenarios in my head.
What if Adrián or Guillermo has a meltdown in front of everyone?What if someone makes another comment about our parenting?What if I can’t keep it together and end up crying in the bathroom like last year?What if Guillermo refuses to eat anything?
You know how many of those purchases we actually still use regularly?
Ten. Out of maybe twenty items.
The rest? They’re collecting dust in a closet, unused and forgotten. Some never even made it out of the packaging because my boys had zero interest in them.
I want to tell you something that took me years to admit out loud.
Most of the meltdowns my kids had at family gatherings were not random. They weren’t “behavior.” They weren’t disrespect. They were a nervous system screaming, “I can’t handle this anymore.”
Our first Friends-Giving was a disaster.
We hosted. We thought we were “ready enough.”
We were not.
Within an hour, Adrián was hiding in his room with tears in his eyes, Guille had not been born yet, and Luis and I were exchanging those silent parent glances that say, Abort mission. This is not working.
I’ll never forget the day I truly understood what a meltdown felt like for Adrián.
We were at the grocery store, just a quick trip to grab dinner ingredients. Within minutes, my then-three-year-old son was on the floor, hands over his ears, tears streaming down his face. People stared. Someone whispered “tantrum.” An older woman shook her head disapprovingly.
