Halloween can be an exciting time of year, filled with magical costumes, delicious candy, and spooky thrills. But for some kids, Halloween-time presents more shock and startle than silly surprise.
For neurodivergent kids and those with sensory processing differences, the unpredictability and change in routine during Halloween celebrations can feel more frightening than fun, so we compiled a list of tips to help your family navigate this fall tradition with confidence.
Offer choices for costumes that prioritize comfort - like a spooky PJ set!
For some kids, the unusual textures, tightness, or heaviness of traditional Halloween costumes may be an added stress. If wearing a headpiece or helmet of a costume is a battle, consider leaving it behind! Many retailers offer cozy onesies such as skeletons and popular cartoon characters.
Utilize Halloween social stories to help your child get familiar.
Social stories are short, illustrated stories that help kids get prepared for new and unfamiliar experiences by learning about them in advance through reading. Consider taking some time to prepare your child for Halloween activities such as trick-or-treating by reading and discussing the expectations beforehand as a family activity!
Practice the route and try on costumes in advance.
We recommend practicing walking the route, wearing a costume, and saying “trick-or-treat!” at your door or a neighbor’s door before Halloween night. This will help get your child ready for the big event by practicing in a low-stakes context.
Avoid crowds: start early or try Trunk-or-Treat.
Many children get overwhelmed by the large crowds present during typical trick-or-treating times. By starting early, you can avoid the larger crowds (and sometimes, the scarier costumes!). Many families also opt for Trunk-or-Treat, an opportunity to trick-or-treat amongst a self-contained parking lot of tailgating cars. This minimizes the long distances that kids may need to walk in between “houses” and can ease the tricky transitions.
Minimize bright lights, loud noises, and strong smells.
We recommend minimizing decorations with bright and flashing lights and loud unexpected noises where possible. If strong smells and new tastes are an area of concern for your child, consider allowing your child to trade in their candy for another type of Halloween prize or a special experience with you!
Finally, keep in mind that your family’s traditions may look different from those of other families, and that is okay! Some families choose to have two separate trick-or-treating experiences for kids with different needs in their household, other families prefer to have a child hand out candy at home, and others prefer to all go as one group! Any way you celebrate, we hope you have a spooktacular and sensational Halloween!
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