Description
This resource pack has been created to help parents, carers and educators understand what is happening in a child’s nervous system during a meltdown, and how to respond with confidence, connection and care.
A meltdown is not a choice, attention-seeking, or “bad behaviour”. It is the body and brain moving into overwhelm, often in response to sensory overload, emotional strain or stress that has become too much to manage.
Understanding the phases of a meltdown helps adults recognise what a child needs at each stage — before, during and after big feelings.
Inside this pack, you will find:
• Detailed descriptions of each stage of a meltdown:
Escalation
Crisis (Peak)
De-escalation
Blue / Recovery State
Return to Regulation
• Clear guidance on what is happening in the brain and body at each stage, drawing on nervous system and trauma-informed research.
• What this may look like in real behaviour, helping adults recognise early signs before overwhelm peaks.
• How to support in each phase, including co-regulation language, environmental adjustments and what not to do.
• A child-friendly vocabulary version of the timeline, written in gentle, accessible language to help young people understand their own nervous system.
• Two visual formats included:
– Full colour (for display, digital use or classroom teaching)
– Black & white printer-friendly versions (low ink, photocopier ready)
This pack is designed to be neurodiversity-affirming, reducing shame and increasing emotional safety for children who experience big feelings and sensory or emotional overload.
It supports:
• School staff
• Parents and carers
• SEN / ALN teams
• Therapeutic practitioners
• Youth workers and family support roles
