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