Making the rounds on the internet today is a story about an incredible Halloween costume that a father made for his son, who uses a wheelchair. This is a wonderful example of one of the many ways that the special needs that a child happens to have can be incorporated into a really fun Halloween costume.
There is a lot of decision making that goes into a Halloween costume. Children who have certain kinds of special needs might have difficulty with the sensory aspects of wearing a costume. Kids with an autism spectrum disorder might struggle with seeing their friends and neighbors wearing things that they normally do not wear, or with trick-or-treaters coming to the door. That’s not how things usually go on a typical day!
Kids that use wheelchairs might face other issues on Halloween. One obvious example of this is the way that trick-or-treating is done. If your wheelchair cannot “climb stairs”, then how do you get onto that porch to knock on the door? Another worry could involve how to select a Halloween costume that works well with a wheelchair.
Making the rounds on the internet is a story about a dad who found a perfect solution. His son, Carter, has spina bifida, (according to the Huffington Post), and uses a wheelchair. Carter’s Dad created a fantastic costume of an Ice Cream Truck. The side says “Buster’s Ice Cream”, and has all the details that one would expect to see on a real ice cream truck.
Carter is dressed in a white coat, bow tie, and paper hat that says “Buster’s Ice Cream”. He appears to be driving the truck! You can see a photo of the costume, and a video of the costume “in action” here. What an awesome idea!
Children who have sensory sensitivities might find the Halloween costumes that you can purchase at the store to be itchy, scratchy, or uncomfortable. An alternative solution is to create a costume that feels more like the clothing the child is used to wearing. Clothing stores sell t-shirts and hoodies that have skeleton bones on them right around Halloween. That could work!
Kids with sensory issues might not be able to tolerate wearing a mask. Instead, a small amount of Halloween makeup might be acceptable. He or she could wear black, comfortable clothing, a headband with cat or mouse ears in it, and a tiny amount of black makeup on the tip of his or her nose.
Keep in mind that children who have allergies that can flare up after touching an allergen might need to find costumes that can be washed before the child wears them. Hypoallergenic makeup, in small amounts, might work, too. A little bit of creativity can result in a fun Halloween costume for every child.
Image by J. Money on Flickr