Chanti Waters, EdD, BCBA-D
ABS Kids Vice President of Clinical & Regulatory Affairs
Holidays and special events can be great fun, but for children with autism spectrum disorder, they can also be challenging and stressful. That is because these days stray from their normal routine in many ways – from where they go to how they interact with others to how they dress – and that is especially true for Halloween.
While the day and evening can be a fun celebration, filled with costumes and trick-or-treating, they may also be filled with things that can cause anxiety and get autistic children out of their comfort zones.
To help parents and their children prepare for Halloween, here are some tips and tricks you can use to help ease stress and make the day one to look forward to!
- Choosing a costume
- Autistic children can react differently to things like new clothes or fabric texture. Costumes may also restrict some movement or be uncomfortable to wear, and that can cause some anxiety or unfamiliarity. To help that, parents should discuss it all with their child, and maybe show them photos of what they may wear and see.
- Encourage your child to choose a costume and try them on before purchasing or committing to it. Observe how your child responds. If it’s uncomfortable, keep searching. Sometimes what we think will be the cutest costume may be uncomfortable for the child. If your child is sensitive to wearing certain types of clothes, consider a costume that incorporates something your child likes wearing and modify it. For example, if your child likes to wear a firefighter hat, consider wearing yellow or red clothing along with it. If they want to be a cat, wear black, headband ears, and a tail if comfortable for your child. Just know as a parent, you may have to adapt and modify.
- If your adorable costume involves face painting, try it well in advance. You can model it first and see if your child shows interest. If yes, ask for your child’s approval before painting their face. If your child doesn’t like it, try it another day. If there is any sign of resistance, consider other options and when it comes down to it, trick or treat with a simpler costume or without a costume all together.
- Prepare to trick or treat
- Determine in advance where you plan to go. Maybe it’s just the neighbors your child is most familiar with, or drive to a family member’s house where they might be comfortable. You can even create a map of your route, so your child knows where they’re going and feels prepared.
- It may be simpler to stay close to home, and please know it’s okay to take a break whenever your child might need one.
- When it comes to the treats, identify which ones are fine to eat and how many your child may have so these boundaries are set in advance. Having that understanding in advance will help your child know what to expect.
- Dealing with crowds & new places
- Some children like to be around lots of people and do not mind loud sounds and surprises, but others may be more sensitive to changes in routine, want to avoid crowded activities, or have their own limits for how long they may tolerate some activities. For example, a haunted house may seem fun for some, but you may want to avoid something like this if it has loud noises and flashing lights.
- You know your child best, so use your judgement and be prepared to change plans if needed.
- Adapt if things don’t go as planned
- On a day like Halloween, know you may have to adapt to your child’s pace. Just feel it out and go with what feels best. Again, nobody knows your child like you do. Sometimes things won’t go as planned, and it’s better to adapt as best you can rather than having a bad time on what was supposed to be a fun day or night.
- If you need to go home early but your child still shows an interest in celebrating, determine other options. Maybe you can try another area or place, pass out candy to other trick-or-treaters at home, just watch trick-or-treaters go by, watch a kid-friendly Halloween movie, or just enjoy a treat together!
- You can always make the most of any situation.
- Just have fun
- Above all else, find a way to have fun! If things aren’t going as planned, even if it happens at the last minute or in a moment, it’s okay! You can always create a new plan, even if that means just going home and finding a different way to celebrate.
- At the end of the day, this is going to be the most important part of Halloween.