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🔥 Free Meltdown & Incident Tracker

Record incidents, triggers, duration and support in a simple, private tracker.

Meltdowns and difficult incidents can be hard to describe from memory. Keeping a factual record over time can help you see patterns — such as particular times, transitions, sensory situations or demands — and document the support your child needs.

Open the free online Meltdown Tracker → Download printable PDF →

What can you record?

Date and time
What was happening immediately beforehand
Possible triggers such as transitions, unexpected changes, noise, crowds, demands or sensory overload
The child's state beforehand — for example tired, hungry, anxious or overstimulated
Intensity and duration
What happened during the incident
What adult support was needed
What helped with recovery

Why keep a meltdown and incident tracker?

Individual incidents can be difficult to remember accurately, especially when they happen frequently. A record kept over several weeks can make patterns easier to spot and can give you something concrete to discuss with a school, SENCO, GP or other professional.

For example, you may notice that incidents regularly happen after school, around transitions, after periods of sensory overload, or when a particular demand is introduced. The purpose of tracking is not to label or blame the child — it is to understand what happens before, during and after an incident.

Meltdown, distress and behaviour

The tracker is deliberately neutral. You can record what you observed without having to decide whether an incident was a “meltdown”, “shutdown”, “outburst” or something else. What matters is describing what happened, the context, the duration and the support required.

Using the tracker as supporting evidence

Keep it factual. Incident logs can help document frequency, duration, triggers and the level of support required. They may be useful alongside other information when explaining a child's needs for an EHCP, DLA or PIP. They do not guarantee an outcome, and the relevant assessment rules still apply.

For children, GOV.UK says DLA can apply where a child needs much more looking after than a child of the same age without a disability, including frequent help or continual supervision during the day or supervision at night. citeturn0search5 For PIP, the assessment considers how a disability or health condition affects everyday activities and whether activities can be completed safely, repeatedly and within a reasonable time; supervision can also be relevant. citeturn0search7

How long should I keep records?

There is no magic number of days that makes an incident log valid evidence. The aim is to build an honest picture of what normally happens. Two to four weeks can be a useful starting point for spotting patterns, but continue for longer if you need a clearer picture.

Printable Meltdown Tracker PDF

The free printable version gives you five incident sheets plus a weekly pattern summary. Print extra copies when you need them.

Download the free printable PDF →

Privacy

The online Helpset tracker is designed to keep your entries on your device using browser storage. Helpset's privacy information says that some tool data is saved locally and is not uploaded unless a tool clearly says otherwise. citeturn0search9

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