Autism Allies

09/13/2026

❤️♾️🌎

07/28/2026

If you're free this Saturday, this may be something your family is interested in happening in Fredericktown ❤️♾️🌎

07/13/2026

❤️♾️🌎

“NO LUNCH!!” could be heard all the way down the hall.
In a moment of overwhelm, she threw herself to the floor and declared she wasn’t leaving.

I knew to keep the persuasive argument to myself.
“But you have pizza today,” or “I bet you’ll get to sit beside Lucy,” would all be a waste of effort to say out loud.

For many autistic folks, more words and more pressure USUALLY means more time stuck on the floor.

So here are 3 better ways to help your autistic loved one get back on track when they’re stuck on the floor…

1. Approach with the, “Hey friend, looks like you could use a rest.”
And present a chair right beside them.

Say, “I got you a chair, come have a seat.” And mean it.
Let them rest for a few moments, THEN ask them to stand up.

If the body is flopped on the floor, that can mean the mind is overwhelmed.
Bringing a chair allows them to move forward in smaller pieces, rather than all at once.

2. Get a little silly! You can validate their feelings and shift to a lighter tone.
“Ya know, there are times I don’t wanna walk to places either. What if we crawl? Come on, crawl with me!”

Shifting the emotional tone can help bring the thinking brain back online.
It doesn’t matter how you get there, what matters is getting unstuck.

3. Build forward momentum by finding easy success. You’re on the floor, I won’t ask you to stand up right away, that’s too hard.

Instead, I’d say, “I know, it’s been a long day. Will you hand me your lunchbox?”

Then I’d offer you a high five.
I might even get silly and ask for our feet to high five.

If those things went well…you would have succeeded in something small three times…at which point I’d say, “grab my hands, let’s stand up.”

So when your autistic loved one drops to the floor…
Meet them where they are. Make the next step smaller. Find tiny ways to move forward.

07/11/2026

❤️♾️🌎

Autistic meltdowns & shutdowns both happen when the demands of a situation EXEED a person’s current level of ability.

In other words, they can be triggered when the person is expected to handle more than they can manage in that moment.

As humans, but especially autistic humans, our “level of ability” will change moment to moment.

For example, if Victoria gets a flat tire on the way to work, is scolded by her boss, and is trying to meet multiple deadlines…the construction happening outside the office might cause her to have a shutdown or meltdown.

Victoria might have coping tools she can use to block out the construction noise, but with the extra stress, her brain might have already reached its limit.

Sometimes, people in Victoria's situation might say, “I don’t know what my problem is. I could’ve just used ear plugs, I was fine with it last week. Gosh, why am I such a baby?”

But if she slept well, had an easy drive to work, and had plenty of time to finish her tasks, she might've been able to use her coping skills!

Sometimes an autistic meltdown or shutdown is caused by one big trigger. But oftentimes, especially for adults, they are caused by multiple smaller things building on top of each other.

Meltdowns and shutdowns are usually best understood in reverse…we go back to look at why it happened and how it could’ve been prevented.

My advice is to look beyond the final moment. Look back at the last few hours, days, or even weeks.

Search for what else has been taking energy: poor sleep, changes in routine, social pressure, work demands, sensory overload, conflict, illness, or too little time to recover.

The final trigger may still need attention, but it may not be the only problem.

If you are looking for ways to build coping skills, you may want to practice noticing stress earlier, asking for help sooner, planning recovery time, reducing unnecessary demands, or addressing other parts of life that are draining your capacity.

Sometimes the skill is using earplugs.
And sometimes the skill is recognizing that you were already overwhelmed before the noise started 🖤

06/11/2026

"I have been absolutely BLOWN away with all of the support from brands both local & across the country who are showing their support at our event:

The Sensory & Support Summit- An Autism Family Conference August 1st!

We have received enough products to have giveaways every TWENTY minutes for the first 3 hours! & an additional BIG giveaway at the end of the event. (ALL OF THESE BRANDS ON THE WALL ARE SENDING SOMETHING 😱)

We have brands donating items for welcome bags for the first 50 families!

& we will hear from some big voices!

Remember- speakers, vendors, hands on learning all with regulation & acceptance in mind! A place where you don’t need a sitter & you don’t have to say I’m sorry.

This was designed by two Autism Moms who are walking this with you. We get it. & we truly just want to bring support that our community so desperately needs. 💕

Please share & let everyone know about The Sensory & Support Summit! Parents, Teachers, therapists, friends. EVERYONE is welcome here 💕

You can get tickets here! 🎟️

Virtual: (Access to speakers, a giveaway & Behind the scenes)- https://stan.store/asdmama1017/p/virtual-tickets-to-the-sensory--support-summit

In Person: (Speakers, Vendors, Giveaways & Sensory Room)- https://stan.store/asdmama1017/p/the-sensory--support-summit "