Halloween is a holiday that might be difficult for children who have an autism spectrum disorder to cope with. Things get decorated in unexpected ways. Social skills can falter when a person is wearing a costume. Here are some tips to make Halloween easier for kids who have autism.
Start preparing your child now! If your child is in a Special Education classroom, there is a good possibility that his or her teacher has been slowly getting the students used to the idea that Halloween is coming, and has been discussing some of the changes that will happen. Awesome teachers might have taken the time for kids to do some “role play”, practice, trick-or-treating.
If not, then parents need to step in and help their child to prepare for the changes that are coming. Point out the Halloween decorations in stores, and discuss how those will be used as decorations at people’s houses. Let your child take a look at the Halloween costumes, and talk about them. Have your child select some Halloween candy to give to the trick-or-treaters that will come to the door.
It may be advantageous to set up a schedule for Halloween. Create a card system like your child uses at school to navigate through the school day. First, you will go to school. Later, you will put on your Halloween costume. Then, your class will have a Halloween party. After that, you come home on the school bus. Then, it is time to eat dinner. Later, you will go trick-or-treating with mom or dad. After that, you will help hand out candy to trick-or-treaters that come to the door.
Parents need to be flexible with the concept of what a Halloween costume is. Your child might not want to wear the mask that went with the costume. Some children are not going to be comfortable wearing a costume at all, but may be ok with the idea of wearing a Halloween t-shirt or hoodie.
It is perfectly acceptable if your child only wants to trick-or-treat at a couple of houses before calling it a night. Remember that this entire sequence of events is not what normally happens, and may be difficult for your child to cope with. Don’t force your child to go too far out of his or her comfort zone.
If your child will be trick-or-treating with siblings, it is a good idea to bring at least two adults along. This way, if your child who has an autism spectrum disorder is ready to return home before his siblings are, one adult can go with, and the other can continue the Halloween fun with the rest of the family.
What if your child wants to trick-or-treat by himself or herself this year (without parents coming with)? A safe option might be for your child to trick-or-treat at your local mall, Farmers’ Market, or Fall Festival on the night that they are prepared for trick-or-treaters.
Image by Chris Waits on Flickr
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