Managing the meltdown: Supporting autistic youth through episodes

Abstract

As of 2023, about one in 36 children met criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), an increase from previous estimates by the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network from 2000–2018 (Christensen, 2016). With the autistic population growing both in those who meet criteria for the diagnosis and in their public presence, the likelihood of interacting with autistic individuals in health care, emergency situations, and educational settings is on the rise. In fact, autistic individuals have both higher rates of presenting in the emergency department and having contact with law enforcement compared to the general population. As such, understanding how we as professionals can support autistic youth in high-stress situations becomes imperative.