Halloween will be here before we know it and for our kiddos with special needs, it may be time to start preparing them for what the holiday will bring.
When I think of my childhood Halloween adventures, I remember cold nights, uncomfortable costumes, and the disappointment of a house with its lights off. I also remember the excitement of it all. The costumes, candy, decorations, and getting to stay up late. This can be a lot to take in for any child but especially for kids with disabilities.
But have no fear! We can prepare our kids for Trick or Treating/Trunk or Treats.
Some things to consider:
Picking a Costume
Halloween Etiquette & Social Stories
Practice Makes it Easier
Costumes
When selecting a costume for your child, you should consider their sensory and support needs. Does your child dislike head coverings? Do they get hot easily? Are they sensitive to mesh material?
However, some kids are insistent on being a specific character and the costume they see in store may not fit their sensory needs. To redirect my kids when they insist we buy something, I offer to take a picture of it on my phone so that we will remember exactly what they want when we go shopping again. Then I will start searching for different variations of costumes.
Last year, our youngest was determined that she was going to be Spider-Man even though she hated having the mask over her face. I tried looking for different versions of Spider-Man that wouldn't cover her face but still give her the costume she wanted. Unfortunately, I never found a costume that checked all of her boxes and she was stuck on the costume that required the mask. I caved and bought the costume she originally picked. She wanted the mask on and as soon as it was on, she began screaming and then turned to tears when she finally understood that the costume would look different without the mask. The next option was to cut the mask so that she could see but still be the "real" Spider-Man. I cut and sewed a circular hole just under the eyes of the mask that allowed her to see out the mask better. This adjustment took 15 minutes at best and she loved every minute in her Spider-Man costume.
Our oldest wears AFOs and needed a costume she could wear the AFOs with. The sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns kid chose to be Sam from the Trick r Treat horror film. The costume was originally meant to be paired with boots but to adapt her costume to her, we took an old pair of her Billy Zip-up shoes, got them super dirty, and sprayed them with fake blood to match her Sam costume. Luckily, she had no issue wearing the costume's head portion. She refused to take it off and would get mad at me for pulling it off her. We had anticipated her to be the one to struggle with a head covering due to sensory issues. It just goes to show that you will never know until you try!
Halloween Etiquette & Social Stories
Reading social stories can be a great way to prepare kids for what to expect on Halloween. I have personally found this to be true when it comes to how to behave in certain situations. Halloween and Trick or Treating can have a lot of etiquette and requirements that can be harder for some kids to understand. Reading social stories or storybooks about Halloween can help prepare them for the holiday.
Check out these awesome free resources!
Social Stories about Trick or Treating:
Youtube Read Alouds: (Not Social Stories but great for getting kids excited)
Happy Halloween Little Blue Truck
Pete the Cat Happy Halloween
Skeletons Are Not Spooky
Practice Makes It Easier
The saying goes "Practice makes perfect" but that's impossible for anyone. The practice aims to make things easier, enjoyable, and familiar. With the extreme popularity of Trunk or Treats and Halloween Party Trick or Treat Events, there are plenty of opportunities to practice the art of Trick or Treating. Some events begin the first weekend of October and other opportunities extend almost every Friday and Saturday until the 31st.
Last year, I took my kids out 4 times in October to practice. Our daughters' confidence grew with each trip out and we were able to use the extra candy to pass out at our house after the girls picked out their favorites. We even practiced putting on our costumes at home and saying Trick or Treat to get candy.
Trying Trick or Treating on multiple occasions, can let kids slowly get comfortable participating and enjoy it more on their terms. Your child may tolerate 5 minutes in a costume the first time they put it on. Next time they may want to wear it for 10 minutes and stop at a few houses before they are done with the experience. While Halloween is only once a year, the positive association, confidence, and excitement for the holiday will last all year. I know my kids have been ready for Halloween since last Christmas.
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