Halloween is right around the corner and for many children, it is an exciting time, filled with surprises, considerable amount of visual stimulation, increased amount of noises, laughter and screams, opportunities to grab sweets of all kinds and meet and greet people of all ages and abilities. Seeing scary costumes, or funny costumes, with masks covering faces are a part of this holiday!

For a child who has a disability, he may not view it in the same way. Surprises and too much visual stimulation can trigger emotional upset and increase one’s anxiety. Due to possible dietary restrictions, those sweet treats are off limits for some children which adds to other challenges experienced on this day. Going from house to house and not being familiar with everyone can also increase one’s anxiety level and it all might be too much!

As a parent who has a child with a disability, how do you plan for this day for your child? 

Here are some suggested tips that might make it a more positive experience for you and your child.

1. Read stories to your children about Halloween to familiarize them with the traditions involved prior to the holiday.
2. Create a social story entitled, “On Halloween Night”, including the following steps and read it several times prior to Halloween:
   1. Wear Costume
   1. Go Trick or Treating
   1. Knock on the Door
   1. Say Trick or Treat
   1. Say Thank You
   1. Go to more Houses
   1. Come Home and Eat One Treat
3. Decorate your home with Halloween décor, such as pumpkins, a few cobwebs, etc. (nothing too scary)
4. If your neighbors are willing to pitch in (or other family members who live near you), practice with them. Let your child dress in costume and trick-or-treat at a few friendly houses in advance of Halloween. Practice saying, “Trick or treat!” and “Thank you.”
5. Your child might prefer to remain at home (dressed up or not), answer the door and hand out the candy. Again, if that is the case, create a social story with how to answer the door and how to respond to the trick-or-treaters.
6. Create a visual schedule of what the day/early evening will look like on Halloween. Providing this schedule creates a sense of safety, security, and control. Your child can repeatedly check the schedule and can even cross out with a crayon or pen, when each time period ends.
7. Your child might enjoy it if you get dressed up as well, modeling that it can be fun to dress up and reassure your child that at any time the costume can be taken off.
8. If a child wants to wear a costume, have her pick it up and try it on to make sure that he won’t experience any sensory challenges. Keeping the costume simple might be best when first introducing this idea of dressing up.
9. If your child has a favorite security toy/blanket that she wishes to take with her when she goes trick or treating, then allow it. In a new, unfamiliar activity, this familiar toy can bring comfort and security to your child.
10. If your child decides that after visiting a few houses, he is done, then that is okay especially if it is the first time. Check in with your child to see if it is getting to be too much and possibly suggest that you visit 2 more houses and then return to your home.
11. Once your child is back at home, you can suggest that she can now hand out the candy or have a treat (set that limit ahead of time of what she is able to eat that night).

Through all of this, remember to be flexible when possible. No matter how the pre-planning goes, the day of Halloween, things might not play out as expected. Lastly, remember to breathe—when taking deep, slow breaths don’t work, treat yourself to a few extra candy bars!