my daughter has meltdowns that are not alays the same. depends on the reason she is having it, she can just break down snd cry and refuse to do things, that is mild, she can go off on a screaming fit and throw things hit and kick things slap curse,break things,. hits herself in the face until her nose bleeds. flip furniture. or scream nonstop, for several minutes, we have small ones about everyday,
music calms her down, so I and stay there till she is calm, she will come out and start talking like nothing ever happened.

ok. this is when all hell breaks loose basically! when the child, for some reason, is unable to cope with something/one and expresses an inability to control his/her temperous urges and lashes out verbally,physically,emotionally. this is very challenging as often it can take a long time to clam the situation and for some it is a regular occurence.
finding triggers is the key along with finding quick solutions to change the mood. failing this, i personally reccommend alcohol, ear plugs and as much padding as you can wear.
x

bubsmum is on to something with the earplugs and padding.. Yea a meltdown is just it sounds they are going off and you never know when and it can be over anything, and usually they I dont think know why either. But getting a sensory diet in place for my daughter and some other therapies on a daily basis have calmed them , but it is scarry not knowing what is going to happen while they are going off.,

It's basically a total failure of coping mechanisms. They are usually overwhelmed by something. With my DD, it's sensory input. When I remove her from the situation, she usually calms down. It's the crying/hysterical/angry/frustrated/I need help, because I am unable to cope situation. It passes- but you need to look for what triggers it, so you can avoid or minimize it in the future. (Disney IPOD thingies work great for us).