Valerie Jane on Instagram: "“Meltdown vs. Abuse: What Looks Similar But Isn’t” A lot of people misunderstand autistic meltdowns, mistaking them for abuse or intentional harm. But these are fundamentally different—and confusing the two harms autistic people even more. Let me break it down: 🧩 Autistic Meltdown • Cause: Sensory/emotional overload, routine disruption, communication breakdown. • Nature: Involuntary, physiological reaction—like a system crash. • Intent: No desire to hurt anyone. It’s