Halloween For Kids With Disabilities Can Be Scary
If you have a child with disabilities, you know how uncertain Halloween can be for them. It can be a scary holiday for any little one, but for a child with disabilities like autism, it can be down-right terrifying. And it can be just as terrifying for the parents of a child with disabilities. There are some things that you can do to be ready for Halloween and Trick-or-Treating with your kids. Here are some Halloween tips:
Practice With Friends And Neighbors. If it’s your first Halloween taking the plunge into Trick-or-Treating, consider some practice runs first in the daylight hours. Hit your neighbor’s house, or a family members house, to show your child how the whole Trick-or-Treating process works and what they can expect. Some of the biggest fears of kids with disabilities on Halloween is simply not knowing what to expect. It’s a holiday when anything seems possible, and most of those anythings are incredibly scary.
Be Confident For Them. If your child happens to have a learning disability, the best thing that you can do for them is being encouraging, positive, and confident in their abilities. Halloween only comes around once a year, and it’s a big event for the kids. There’s literally magnetism and excitement in the air, and for kids with disabilities this can be a rough experience. Everyone is excited and the possibilities for anything to happen are endless.
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Being confident and positive for your child with a disability means being proud of their costume, if they chose to wear one, and speak highly of how they look. Be enthusiastic when you talk to them about their costume, and be confident when you walk them through the neighborhood to Trick-or-Treat. They need to know that Halloween doesn’t bother you, and so you must be confident and relaxed.
Walk To The Door With Your Child. Whether it’s your child’s first Halloween experience, or they are still a little nervous about the entire process, it’s always best to walk up to each door with them to help them in their confidence. Just having you stand behind them will not only make them feel better, it will help the parents behind the door know that this is a special situation.
Don’t Interrupt. Halloween is a perfect time for your child with disabilities to gain some confidence in themselves. Even when you walk up to the door with them, let them take the reins. If they stutter or get nervous, don’t take over but let them figure it out. They’ll get the words out (“Trick-or-Treat”) and gain confidence in themselves at each house the greet. If you interrupt and try to help them out by taking over, it might decrease their confidence levels and Halloween might be a total bust for them.
Halloween is no doubt a scary time for parents and kids with disabilities. The idea of going up to a complete stranger and asking for candy can be terrifying, let alone standing next to another kid who is in a scary costume. However, even though it’s a rough time for both parents and kids with disabilities, it can also be a positive experience that grows confidence. The outcome of Halloween is truly up to you.
