Aspire Psychological Services Ltd

11/11/2025

11/11/2025

When a meltdown seems to come 'out of nowhere' it can feel confusing and overwhelming for the adult supporting the child.
We look for what just happened — a moment, an event, a trigger we can point to.

But for many neurodivergent young people, the overload didn’t start in that moment.
It started hours earlier.

From the outside, everything may have looked calm.
But inside, the nervous system was working hard — managing sensory input, masking, holding in feelings, navigating expectations, and sometimes carrying a deep sense of “that didn’t feel fair or right.”

Internal overload builds quietly.
And the meltdown happens when the nervous system can’t hold it any longer — not necessarily when the stress began.

This is why it’s so important to understand meltdowns as a sensory + emotional cycle, rather than a behaviour to react to.

When we shift from trying to identify the 'cause' → to supporting the nervous system, we meet the child where they actually are.

If you’d like a clear visual guide to the whole cycle — including what helps at each stage — you’ll find the Timeline of a Meltdown via link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

Save this to return to when the moment feels confusing

10/11/2025

Supporting a child through a meltdown is not just about what we say or do.
It’s also about what is happening inside us.

Our nervous system responds to their overwhelm.
Their panic can trigger our panic.
Their intensity can activate our urgency.
Their distress can stir our own history of not feeling safe.

So before we can co-regulate a young person, we often need to regulate ourselves.
Not perfectly — just enough to stay steady.

This post shares supportive ways to stay regulated as the adult, so that we can be the grounding presence a child’s nervous system is reaching for in the storm.

Because when we are calm, predictable, and connected — the child feels safe enough to return to calm too.

If you’d like a deeper breakdown of every phase of the meltdown cycle — and how to respond at each stage without shame, fear, or urgency — you’ll find the full Timeline of a Meltdown resource via link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

Save this post to return to when you need it

10/11/2025

When a young person is in meltdown, their nervous system has moved into survival mode.
This means the thinking, reasoning, language-based parts of the brain are offline.

So phrases like:
“Calm down.”
“You don’t need to be upset.”
“Use your words.”
or “Stop it.”
aren’t just unhelpful — they can intensify the overwhelm.

Not because the child is choosing not to listen —
but because they are not able to in that moment.

This post breaks down what not to say at each stage of the meltdown cycle:

• Escalation
• Crisis (the peak)
• Recovery (the Blue Phase)

Because the timing of our response matters just as much as the words we use.

If you want a deeper understanding of what’s happening in the brain during these stages — and how to support each phase with calm, connection and safety — you’ll find the full Timeline of a Meltdown resource via link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

FOLLOW for our next post - What to Say During a Meltdown

08/11/2025

When a child is overwhelmed, the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system) can switch into 'high alert'.
This makes thinking, listening, and problem-solving incredibly hard.
Calm never comes from telling a child to “calm down” — it comes from helping their nervous system feel safe again.
Our The Child Brain Explained can be found at link in the comments ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in our Bio.

Tomorrow, we’re beginning a new series: Timeline of a Meltdown
We’ll explore what each phase looks like, what’s happening in the brain and body, and how to support a child through every stage — with care, connection, and understanding.

Follow along if this is something you need right now.
You’re not alone in this work.

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05/11/2025

💭 Why do children lie or steal?

These behaviours can be incredibly challenging — but for many children who’ve experienced trauma, lying or stealing aren’t acts of defiance… they’re acts of protection.

When a child feels unsafe, ashamed, or afraid of losing connection, they may hide the truth or take things to meet emotional needs they can’t express.

💡 The key is understanding the “why” behind the behaviour.

Join our webinar with the Centre of Excellence in Child Trauma (CoECT) to explore trauma-informed ways to respond with empathy, rebuild trust, and reduce challenging behaviour in the children you support.

🎓 What you’ll gain:
• Insight into why lying and stealing occur after trauma
• Tools to help children feel safe enough to tell the truth
• Practical steps to build trust and connection

Watch Now:
👉 https://tinyurl.com/32p8m6rp

05/11/2025

Term 2, the Christmas term, can feel big in school. Routines shift, excitement builds, classrooms get busier, and there are more events, rehearsals, decorations, noise and change than usual.

For many children – especially neurodivergent children – this is a lot for the nervous system to process. They may work incredibly hard to hold it together during the school day, masking their overwhelm, stress and fatigue.

Then, when they come home to their safe person, it shows. Tears, shutdowns, anger, withdrawal, 'out of the blue' behaviours.

This is not naughtiness or defiance — this is after-school restraint collapse. Their body is saying: I’ve been coping all day. I can’t anymore.

If this is familiar, our After-School Restraint Collapse Toolkit offers scripts, co-regulation strategies, and practical supports to reduce overwhelm and reconnect after the school day. Link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

05/11/2025

We’re so proud to see one of the children’s homes we work with have developed this incredible sensory room.

This calming space was created entirely through the home’s initiative and understanding of the children we work with. Some of the ideas grew from guidance offered by our Occupational Therapist, James, during a young person’s assessment. The team have really brought this to life in the most thoughtful way 🌟

22/10/2025

Breaking News!

British courts will no longer presume contact with both parents is in “the best interest of the child.”

Finally. Now let’s see what changes.

It was already stated in the 1989 Children Act that the needs of the child are paramount, but the family courts managed to ignore that for the last 35 years and continued making orders that force children to be retraumatised when seeing abusive parents.

See more at www.coect.co.uk

17/10/2025

Does the change in weather affect your mood?

Many people experience changes in their mood due to the changing seasons, such as
• Feeling energy levels drop.
• Changes to sleeping patterns.
• Changes to eating patterns.

All of which is very normal and common. It might be due to something called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is a type of depression. It is more apparent during certain seasons. It is often referred to as ‘winter depression’, as symptoms can often be more severe during the winter months.

If you think you might have Seasonal Affective Disorder, we have some useful information. This includes what SAD is and what can help you.

Head over to the website using this link https://www.recoverycollegeonline.co.uk/topics/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/

17/10/2025

ASSOCIATE POSITION - GLASGOW
**Highly Specialist Clinical or Counselling Psychologist**
* We are looking for a trauma specialist clinical or counselling psychologist to work into one of our residential homes in Johnstone (Glasgow).
* 4 hours per fortnight consultation with residential staff and supporting management (on-site).
* Competitive rates of pay
* Clinical supervision from a senior psychologist in our team
* Support with the clinical model and implementation of this within the home (we have a long-standing relationship with the organisation)
* Option for note writing at home
* Flexibility around hours/days of the week which can be negotiated with the home's manager
* Please get in touch if you're interested!!!