Massive sensory meltdowns - smells

[Blossom4538]

Pls help, any tips appreciated.
Dd is Autistic and can’t cope. Huge problems during the night also.

Feel as though we’ve tried everything and it’s dominating hers and our lives. CAMHS won’t prescribe medication.
She is sometimes awake all night, from 11pm, sometimes from 1:30.

@Blossom4538 I am sorry, this sounds really hard. I see you posted about a house move as well.
How verbal is your DD? Does she have a safe space in the house she can retreat to? Are there smells that she does like?
Are there any strategies she uses at school to mask smells that may be useful at home. Sounds like with a house move, along with covid and a bereavement it's been a year with lots going on. 💐

Hi OP, would your DD get involved in some "projects" to give her a sense of ownership and control in her new space? Ie let her choose where the furniture goes, painting a wall her choice of colour.

Can you also make her a social story showing pictures of old house and add narrative about her feeling sad when you left the house? Then pictures of new house.

Would it help to focus on observing some concrete details eg noticing similarities and differences in the two homes, my DS finds it calming when I narrate all the similar things eg door handles are similar, same type of light switch, bathroom is bigger however bath tub is same size. He finds concrete details very calming when he's anxious and overwhelmed.

If she has a blanket / soft toy / cushion with a familiar smell , see if she'll let you hug her while she holds that to her face and you talk her through the similarities and differences. Familiar smell might help her plus deep pressure from the hug (if she likes pressure).

Also, keep on at CAMHS until they give her melatonin. A friend of mine orders her own melatonin from the US, I don't know about the rights and wrongs of that for autistic kids so others may be able to advise on that. But sounds like you and she really need help.

Thank you all.
She slept through last night, after being awake most of previous night!