06/06/2026
The last time I travelled, I saw a couple with their daughter who was probably about 12 to 14 years old.
Right from Heathrow Airport, this child was jumping, crying, throwing herself on the floor and screaming. The next minute, she would start running and her mum and dad would be in hot pursuit.
She attempted to destroy everything on sight, airport officials had their hands full. The mother was exhausted from trying to run after her and control her, while the father looked visibly embarrassed.
Many of the other travellers were irritated and they did very little to hide their disgust. But as someone who has taught in Sunday school class children, I immediately understood that this wasn't bad behaviour.
The child was autistic and she seemed completely overstimulated by the busy airport, the noise, the crowd and all the activity around her. This was probably the only way she knew how to express what she was feeling.
We eventually got to Abuja Airport and she started running again. The father ran after her and slapped her. She fell to the ground and screamed. Her voice echoed through the entire airport.
She got up and started running again.
The mother immediately ran after them. It seemed she knew the father was reaching the end of his patience and was about to do some serious damage.
At that point, my heart broke for her mother.
I walked over to the child, squatted down to her eye level and tried to calm her using the PACE method (Patience, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy)
In autism support, we often squat, kneel, or sit beside the child rather than standing over them. It makes you appear less threatening, reduces the power imbalance, and helps create a sense of safety and connection. Combined with the PACE approach, it can be very effective during a meltdown or period of distress.
It actually worked.
Slowly, she began to settle.
The mother couldn't stop thanking me. The father was so impressed that he wanted to collect my phone number right there in front of his wife, but I politely declined before somebody would accuse me of causing another problem in their family. 😂
My heart goes out to parents raising children with special needs.
It is not a walk in the park.
Many of them are doing their absolute best while carrying burdens most of us cannot even imagine.
So the next time you see a child having a meltdown in public, maybe pause before judging.
You may not know the battle the parents are fighting.
God Bless You ❤️