Creative Therapy - South Dublin

18/11/2025

BITESIZE - so you can save to your 📲and refer to in-the-moment.

Struggling for the right words in the heat of the moment?
When a young person is overwhelmed, our own response can either calm the storm or fuel the fire.
Having a simple, supportive script to follow can take away the pressure of thinking on your feet and help you respond in a way that builds safety, trust, and connection.

This post gives you a ready-to-use, in-the-moment script you can adapt for your own child or setting – so you’re never left tongue-tied in those tricky moments.

Because sometimes, the right words make all the difference.

WHEN A CHILD HITS: a PARENT & EDUCATOR TOOLKIT.
Electronic download available at link in comments ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio. Instant electronic download with secure global checkout, handled by Stripe.

13/11/2025

For many neurodivergent young people, the world can feel louder, brighter, faster, and more unpredictable than it does for others.
And when the sensory load becomes too much, the nervous system does exactly what it’s designed to do:
it protects.

A meltdown is not a tantrum.
It is not “not coping.”
It is the brain shifting into survival mode because it feels overwhelmed and unsafe.

This can look big — crying, shouting, running —
or it can look very quiet — shutting down, going still, not speaking.
Both are valid meltdown responses.

Understanding the sensory + emotional cycle of a meltdown helps us respond with support, not shame.
We move from trying to stop the behaviour → to helping the child feel safe again.

And when a young person learns that their hardest moments do not break connection, their nervous system learns safety — and emotional resilience begins to grow.

13/11/2025

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

12/11/2025

22/06/2025

We all lose our cool sometimes — we’re human.

But what matters most is what comes next.

Repair builds trust, connection, and emotional safety.

This visual is your gentle reminder: it’s never too late to say, “I’m sorry.”

22/01/2025

21/01/2025

21/01/2025

21/01/2025

Up to 1 in 5 kids will develop what healthcare providers consider anxiety disorders-- anxiety is on the rise in children and it's important we understand WHY...