Kids who have an autism spectrum disorder tend to become uncomfortable, or upset, when things do not go as they expected them to. What may seem like a small change can be overwhelming for kids with this special need. Here are some tips for how to help your child cope with all of the changes that can happen on Halloween.
Halloween can be a difficult holiday for kids who have an autism spectrum disorder. While other kids may need little instruction about how to trick-or-treat, and will intrinsically see the fun in wearing a costume, kids with autism might need additional instruction about these sorts of things.
One of my brothers has Asperger’s Syndrome. He rarely ever wanted to go out trick-or-treating, and he didn’t show much interest in dressing up in a costume. For him, celebrating Halloween meant answering the door, and giving candy to the trick-or-treaters who arrived.
It was something he could do from the comfort of home, and it involved a repeatable pattern that he understood. Wait for a knock at the door. Open the door. Wait for the costumed children to say “trick-or-treat”. Drop one piece of Halloween candy into each of the trick-or-treater’s buckets. Close the door when you finish.
It may sound to you like a boring way to spend Halloween, but I assure you it was something that he found to be really fun. Your child might like to participate in the holiday in the same way. I used to go trick-or-treating, and then let my brother take whatever candy he wanted out of my loot.
If your child wants to try trick-or-treating this year, it would be a good idea to start slow. There is an excellent Social Story that you can print out, and read with your child as often as you like.
It gives extremely detailed explanations about how to trick-or-treat, what to do, what not to do, and what to say. This type of instruction can make a chaotic activity into something more manageable for a child who has autism to cope with. I cannot think of anything I would add to it, or of one thing that this particular story forgot to mention.
Start by trick-or-treating at the house of a familiar person, like a neighbor whom your child has seen before. If that goes well, you can continue to a few more houses. For best results, parents should closely monitor their child for signs that he or she is becoming overwhelmed. If you act quickly, you might be able to return home before your child’s anxiety takes over.
Image by Jim Capaldi on Flickr