By Michele Thorne and Amy Ward
Halloween is an exciting holiday for many families, but for those raising children with disabilities, it can come with its own set of landmines. Costumes can be uncomfortable, with itchy fabrics, awkward seams and visually distracting elements. Events such as trunk-or-treats, corn mazes and haunted houses can be overstimulating, with fog machines, loud music, strobe lights and scary sounds. Even food and drinks can look unfamiliar, thanks to the eerie charcuterie boards and bloody drink concoctions that fill Pinterest.
So how can parents navigate these challenges while ensuring everyone has a fun and safe holiday?
Welcome to the Halloween survival guide.
- Find a comfortable costume.
Nothing is worse than an itchy costume made from cheap fabric designed to be worn for one night. Instead, create a costume from clothes your child already wears, incorporating themes that align with their interests. Many stores now sell costume-inspired pajamas that are comfortable, reusable and familiar. For children who use wheelchairs, there are also adaptive costume options available from retailers such as Target, Halloween Express and Amazon.
- Seek out sensory-friendly events.
Around the Valley, you will start to see sensory-friendly trunk-or-treat events advertised. These can be a great option for families. They are designed with children with sensory sensitivities in mind, often featuring reduced music, no strobe lights and an environment where families can participate without fear of judgment.
- Trick-or-treat in small chunks.
Walking for an extended period while carrying a large bag of candy can be exhausting for some children. Instead, break trick-or-treating into smaller chunks. Walk down one street, return home to unload the candy, get the wiggles out, grab some water and a snack, then head back out in another direction. Most importantly, follow your child’s lead. When they are done, they are done.
- Pack sensory items.
Make sure you have what your child needs to make the experience successful. Does your child use headphones, an AAC device or fidget toys? Bring them along. You can even program a “trick or treat” button into their AAC device so they can participate in a way that works for them.
- Follow your child’s lead.
Halloween often comes with fond childhood memories that we want to pass down to our children. But sometimes, we can unintentionally push them into situations they don’t enjoy. There are plenty of ways to bring the holiday home.
Give your child several costumes to choose from and let them change their mind, even at the last minute. Build decorations and costumes around a special interest, whether that is pirates, tractors or something else. If your child loves tractors, for example, let them take their ride-on tractor down the street. If they aren’t interested in trick-or-treating but love handing out candy, give them that job.
Halloween can be a fun time for everyone when we follow our children’s lead and make sure they are comfortable and prepared.
And one last thing: Ignore the pressure to do Halloween a certain way. Your child doesn’t have to say “trick or treat” — they can simply hold up their bag. Have a teenager who still loves the holiday? Let them trick-or-treat. Don’t like the colored buckets marketed for different disabilities? Use whatever they want.
Tune out the societal expectations and do what works best for your family and, most importantly, enjoy the holiday together.
