Getting excited for Halloween

While Halloween may offer many exciting
opportunities for children overall, social
interactions, unusual or even scary outfits,
and the sharing of treats may present
some stressful or challenging situations
to individuals with an autism spectrum
disorder or related developmental
disabilities. Below are some tips that may
help avoid anxiety and help the individual
enjoy this festive event.

1. Prepare in Advance and Practice:
¤ If the child is going to wear a costume,
select it in advance based on his or her
preferences.
¤ Use a Choice Board with 3-5
types of preferred costumes that you may
potentially buy
or make and let
the individual
make a
decision.

¤ If the child
has some
trouble with
being unusually dressed, practice wearing
it prior to Halloween.

¤ Create a social narrative to
explain what will happen
during the evening (see
the back) as a way to help
prepare the individual.

¤ Rehearse activities that
may be difficult for the
individual, like knocking
on the door or ringing the
bell, saying “Trick or treat,” “Thank you,”
and answering questions about his/her
costume by role-playing.

¤ Create a visual schedule for
the order of events (i.e., go to 5
houses, grandma and grandpa’s
house, aunt’s house, all done).

2. On the Day of the Event:
Sensory input around Halloween
might be intense: children
and adults wearing costumes,
flickering lights, scary objects in
the street, loud noises and so on.
Be aware of your child’s sensory
needs and plan proactively. It
is important that the evening ends on a
positive note so allow breaks, if needed, or
trick-or-treat for a shorter period of time if
that will allow a successful ending.

3. Educate Others:
Some adults
and/or children
might not be
familiar with
characteristics of
autism spectrum
disorders. Educating them about the
disorders before or during the event, might
help them appreciate and understand your
child more.