Why Neurodivergent Kids Melt Down or Argue: Coping Styles Parents Need to Know When a child melts down, shuts down, or shifts into debate mode, they are not trying to “win.” They are trying to stay afloat. Some reach for you. Some retreat. Some push hard because the feeling is bigger than the moment. When you respond to the coping style instead of the surface behavior, everything gets calmer. See the pattern. Support the need. That is how regulation starts. #meltdown #emotionalregulation #autism

Coupled don’t argue with each other, they argue with the stories they’ve created about each other. We get stuck in our heads, filled with insecurity, and in the pursuit of self-protection, we create narratives and assign negative meanings to each other’s intentions. The first step of repair when there’s conflict is getting out of the story and communicating from a place of active listening and compassion. | Jillian Turecki