The holiday season is in full effect and for both parents of and children with autism, it can be a bit overwhelming. Halloween, in particular, can be quite tricky for children with autism as it involves several things that are very out of the ordinary. Between the weather changing, new sights and sounds, classroom parties at school, and troves of other children running around in costumes trick or treating, the season can bring about a unique type of chaos. LearnBeahvioral, a center offering autism services and on-site as well as online resources for parents and caregivers of autistic children, posted an article titled "How to Make Halloween a Treat for Kids with ASD" to their blog to provide research and experiential-based tips on making this time of year more bearable for everyone involved. Before getting to the tips, though, it is important to note that The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine's recent studies as well as those from JAMA Pediatrics determined that of the five percent of children who suffer from a sensory processing disorder as well as the eighty - one hundred percent of children with autism who struggle with sensory processing, things like bright lights, loud noises, or tight clothing will exacerbate the likelihood of a sensory overload. Each of these stimulations tend to go hand-in-hand with Halloween, thus presenting a special challenge for children with autism. The easiest way to avoid the over-stimulation and overwhelming feelings of the season for both you and your child is to prepare and plan. First, prepare your child for Halloween by talking about it. Over the weeks and days prior to the big day... try reading books, looking at pictures, watching movies or shows that will give them a visual representation of the holiday. Try talking about decorations you see, people dressing up, different costumes, trick-or-treating, etc. to allow them time to slowly adapt to the whole concept of Halloween. Talking about some of these more "interesting" or "spooky" traditions can ease your child's fears about them as well as better prepare them for when they are in a situation of their own. The second thing that you can do is make sure that your child's halloween costume works for them. If you know that your child is interested in wearing a costume this year for any parties, trick or treating, school events, etc. then try to have them pick it out and try it on way ahead of time. Some costumes can be itchy or have complicated masks or headpieces that go with them so give your child some time to play in the costume or wear it around leading up to the holiday to make sure that it doesn't bother their skin, block their vision or affect their mobility and/or their breathing. If your child has some texture sensitivities, you may be able to find some "out of the box" ideas online from other parents of children with autism; try searching for Halloween costumes that are sensory-friendly. Next, you can help prepare your child for trick-or-treating through role play. If you are close with your neighbors or know anyone who would be willing to let you "practice" ringing the doorbell and going through the greeting and receiving process of trick or treating, that would be a great opportunity for role-playing and hopefully, it would decrease any anxiety or discomfort around the whole ordeal. If this is not an option or your child would feel very uncomfortable doing this, you can always practice at home using the rooms in your space as "house doors" and having them knock instead just to play pretend. You can also prepare them by going over the rules of crossing the street and advise them on how many pieces of candy to take at each location and offer to bring a flashlight or noise-cancelling headphones if they are worried about it being too dark or too loud while out and about. If any of this role-playing or preparation starts to freak them out or makes you apprehensive then you may want to consider staying at home and having them pass out to neighbors instead and doing other activities, like decorating pumpkins, cookies, making tissue paper ghosts, etc. Remember that trick-or-treating is only one part of Halloween and the holiday won't be ruined if you choose to do another activity instead. It is also important during this season to remember to respect your child's limits for an enjoyable Halloween experience as well as remaining mindful of your own limits; how you feel and how you show up is going to heavily impact the overall enjoyment of the experience as well. Try starting early, finishing up before it gets too dark and skipping houses with scary decorations or loud or excessive lights, if necessary for you or your child. The outing only needs to be as long as you see fit. If you need to only visit a few houses or walk only a portion of the neighborhood, then that is okay. In fact, keeping it short could decrease the chances of a meltdown as well as you and/or your spouse getting stressed or overwhelmed. On the big night, you may also want to create some Halloween candy limits and creative alternatives. For example, when you get home for the night after trick-or-treating, turn the porch light off to signal that you all are done for the night, so that you can unwind and decompress from your adventure. As you go through your child's candy stash, be mindful of the possible overwhelming nature of the sheer amount of candy that your child may have and enforce some preset "boundaries" that you, hopefully, set ahead of time. You can also store the candy away for later and offer another enticing activity like a game or tv show if candy before bedtime is a no-no in your household. Lastly, tailor Halloween traditions to fit your family's needs, specifically given the varying comfort levels, sensory processing challenges, and stress that big holiday events bring about for you as a parent. Begin with a plan and open communication and remember that holidays can look different for everyone..the point is to have fun and make new memories as a family!
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