Hi All
Just looking for any direct experience out there that might help us with a recurring problem.
DS (4yo, ASD, sensory seeker) loves going for walks in our neighbourhood more than possibly life itself, but if we need to walk in a direction he doesn't want to go in, he has a full on meltdown - throwing himself on the ground, hitting, pulling hair, screaming. I feel pretty certain it's due to the change in HIS plan on where HE has decided he wants to go to see specific sights (so presumably a transition issue - unless he's also gorged on sensory input so much during the walk that he's also overstimulated?)
Has anyone found an effective trick for avoiding or managing meltdowns on a busy road? It is far and away the biggest source of meltdowns for him, as we can head them off or simply deal with them a lot easier when in the house. When we're out I always end up unintentionally escalating things because I inevitably have to restrain him at some point - this also makes him even more mad. We seem to just be trapped in this cycle that I can't break, but I don't want him to miss out on experience learning how to walk down the road and understanding directions. When he IS in charge (I take him for walks sometimes where he can decide where we go and chooses "this way" or "that way" at each junction) he is beautifully behaved and a joy to spend time with, so he can do it in certain situations.
Anyone cracked this problem?