Understanding autism meltdowns DR RADICA MAHASE “One day I was taking my daughter to school. It’s only a 20-minute ride by maxi taxi and we have been doing it for a year. On this particular day she had a meltdown. She started to cry and hit herself; she threw her bag on the floor and would have ended up there if I did not stop her. “She had meltdowns before, though not while travelling, so I knew what to do – wipe her face with a wet rag (I am always prepared) and just wait for her to self-regulate and deal with all the sensory overloads – the music in the maxi taxi, the man behind us talking too loudly, the jolting ride as the maxi went into some big potholes.