Healthy Habits - Autism and Anxiety

As Autism Acceptance Month draws to a close, I had a chance to interview Adi Wallach, CEO of Calmigo about why so many children with ASD have sudden meltdowns, how it is related to anxiety, and what can be done to help them reach a state of calm.

What is the relationship between autism and anxiety?

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40% of young people with ASD have some form of anxiety, including OCD. Anxiety in children with ASD may be difficult to detect because a child that isn’t verbal may have trouble communicating how they feel or the ASD child may not understand their own feelings of anxiety. In fact, it’s common for children in general to have a hard time recognizing when they feel anxiety since it often manifests as physical symptoms.

There are many things that can trigger anxiety in a child with ASD like social dynamics, where the child feels misunderstood or not accepted by their peers. Also, certain sensory environments can increase anxiety in an ASD child, for instance if there is a large crowd of people and it is noisy – a sensitive child may feel overwhelmed and overstimulated, activating an anxiety response. Additionally, children with ASD do very well with having a routine; however, if a routine is disrupted or there is an unexpected change, they can become upset because of anxiety.

How can autism lead to sudden meltdowns?

When a child with ASD is overwhelmed and stressed, sudden behavioral changes can likely occur – where the child loses control and may have difficulty calming down. When a child is having a meltdown they are often feeling stress and have other feelings that overlap with anxiety. To help children cope with these meltdowns, they should be taught what some of their triggers are, understand what they are feeling, and be taught certain tools on how to calm themselves down in these moments.

What are some things parents and caregivers can do to help their autistic children reach a state of calm?

It can be helpful for parents to preempt the ASD child from becoming overwhelmed before it happens and create a plan. If your child is sensitive to noise – then bring headphones that can block out noise or have a “quiet room” in your house or classroom, where the child can go when they start to feel overwhelmed. If your child is triggered by unexpected schedule changes, then let them know in advance when something might change so that it doesn’t come as a surprise. 

Coregulation, providing a calming presence can help an ASD child calm down faster. Some other tools that can be helpful are relaxing music, compression, rubbing their back, a cold drink, or cozy blanket. A lot of these meltdowns also come from anxiety so teaching children how to manage their anxiety is very empowering. One way to empower ASD children in managing their anxiety and teach them a simple way to self soothe is by using CalmiGo, an easy to use exhaler that can help the child calm down when overwhelmed and prevent future sudden behavioral changes, if used regularly. The device learns users’ breathing patterns via machine learning and guides them on breathing techniques that will activate their parasympathetic nervous system and calm them down. Giving your child tools to create a sense of calm, makes them feel safer knowing they have a plan to tackle these challenges throughout the day.