Yes, I am aware of Tony Robbins “Patter Interrupts.” My husband is a natural an interrupting people’s patterns with humor. What I described doing with Aiden just kind of came about, but it did occur to me after, that that was what was happening.

The main post is good solid advice! A bit simpler, and it really shouldn’t be seen as a solution only available to you and your genes! Its utilizing a technique designed for dispelling fixations in our brains. One self-help guru calls it a “Pattern Interrupt” (Tony Robbins). If you reasoned out the approach all on your own - you are quite observant!
We get hung up on something - and need to jar ourselves out of it, and quickly refocus on something less disruptive (breathing is almost always cited). Doing the technique for somebody else is a good positive way to guide them. The technique can be effective for adults with depression, also.
Being able to instill these skills in kids is HUGE!
A world with more adults who can actually control themselves? Worth our best efforts!

We’ve got the kids in orff classes, and whenever we have a meltdown brewing, we do a simple chant with them, that involves following a sequence of instructions with their hands.

Open them, shut them, open them, shut them
give a little clap.
Open them, shut them, open them, shut them
put them in your lap.
Creep them, creep them right up to your chin.
Open up your little mouth but do not let them in.
Falling falling almost to the ground
Quickly pick them up again
And turn the round and round.
Faster faster faster faster
Slower slower slower slower
clap.

My kids will stop and follow along, even if they are in full frantic spaz mode. I think it reorders their brain.