After the bell: Understanding after-school dysregulation

The Exchange and NeuroPathways are coming together to address a common and often misunderstood  reality for many neurodivergent children, young people, and their families: after school restraint collapse.

After school restraint collapse is the release of accumulated emotional, social, and sensory stress that children build up throughout the school day. It often shows up as meltdowns or shutdowns at home — not because anything has gone wrong there, but because school takes everything a child has.

Many children and young people spend the majority of their energy each day simply coping in the school environment. By the time they get home, there's nothing left and for families, it can feel like everything falls apart.