Donnie decided to make an ask poll to learn what people want to know as a social experiment and to test his latest robot, Artisan, that can draw anything. It's still in beta, so it'll make many mistakes. He might use a chibi art style at times, he m...
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Salutations once again, @cerulean-crystal ! Thank you for your continued contribution to the art of science!
Our asker said: Hello Donnie, if you don't mind me asking what do you do when your having a meltdown? Do you play with some kind of fidget toy to help calm down or just stay quiet and use sign language as communication for the time being
Usually, I do well to avoid things that might lead to a meltdown, but it's not always possible to evade those situations. When I notice I'm getting close to having a meltdown, I typically go to a quiet, dark room and try to calm down. If I start having a meltdown, I wrap a weighted blanket around myself and stim as much as I need to. I do sometimes use a fidget toy, depending on whether or not I remember that I have them. Sometimes I verbally stim to help myself calm down, and sometimes I go nonverbal after a meltdown and use sign language until I'm no longer nonverbal. The most frequent routine I'll have during a meltdown is as follows:
1. Notice I'm getting close to a meltdown
2. Go to a room by myself
3. Turn the lights off
4. Sit down in a comfortable spot
5. Stim as much as I need and in any way I need
6. Work on calming myself down
Once the meltdown is over, I'll make myself some tea and listen to quiet music, and I'll usually avoid people for an hour or two, just in case. Having a meltdown is exhausting, so I'm typically tired for a day or two afterwards, and I work on my tech more than I spend time with people since science is relaxing for me.
