It’s not uncommon for there to be what I refer to as fallout following any type of stimulating event, in regards to an Autistic child. That stimulating event can be positive or negative, it doesn’t matter.

An example of what could be viewed as negative stimuli would be something like visiting the dentist. That’s stressful for most kids but it’s often a sensory nightmare for Autistic kids. On the flip side, positive stimuli could be something like a birthday party or exciting holiday.

The point is, it’s the stimulus that can create the problem. Fallout is simply what I’ve dubbed the behavioral issues I tend to see following one such event. In this case, it was a parental visit and birthday party.

The visits are a positive thing, as is the birthday party but at the same time, they are overstimulating for the kids. Elliott struggled last night but Emmett is really struggling today. Emmett is basically in a perpetual state of feeling overwhelmed. When this happens, he doesn’t cope well with everyday life.

Today that fallout presented itself as not being able to tolerate clothing. He was cool with his pants, shoes and socks but shirts just weren’t happening. I’m also seeing Elliott very much on edge and the combination of these two things makes for a volatile day. Lots of fighting, screaming and misery. Gavin’s doing okay, so at least there’s that.

Again, visiting their mom and going to a birthday are both positive, exciting events. They’re just overstimulating.

Unfortunately, this goes with the territory and while we can try to minimize the fallout, it’s unlikely it can avoided all together. It’s just the way it is. The best bet for managing it in my experience, is distraction and decompression. I’m going to try and get the kids out of the house and into nature for a bit today. Hopefully, that will help them decompress and improve everyone’s day.