There is a scene in the movie we saw tonight, The Good Lie, where they drink tequila and magically the entire house is instantly and perfectly clean. Maymay leaned over to me in the theater and LOUDLY said, "You really need to start drinking tequila!"

If only that worked.

melt·down
meltˌdoun/
noun

Describes what happens when a person freaks out, cracks, loses control of themselves. Life - reality at large- becomes overwhelming. They just can't deal with it all. The person may act out, withdraw, become emotional, run, etc...

I got a message from someone asking me to explain the difference between a temper tantrum and a meltdown. She wanted to know if I used the term interchangeably, or if there was an actual difference.  I didn't take it as an insult, but as a way to teach the difference in my world. Truthfully, anyone who has a child on the spectrum completely understands this definition better than any dictionary could try to define it. A meltdown isn't referring to a child throwing a temper tantrum. I'd pay for a tantrum. A meltdown is an epic event when my sweet girl cannot handle the overwhelming sensory overload that is assaulting her. It usually lasts for hours and sometimes involves crisis intervention or a hospital visit. It is an event that I would never wish upon anyone.