MAKE TRICK-OR-TREATING INCLUSIVE
Neighbours can help all kids get in on the fun, write and
Like any eight-year-old, Jack Couper loves Halloween. Unfortunately, Jack suffers from serious anxiety. The flashing lights and creepy noises from decorated homes, and scary costumes springing from the darkness — they’re all too much. Last year, Jack managed just one short street of trick-or-treating before he had a massive panic attack.
Jack isn’t alone. For children on the autism spectrum or with anxiety disorders, the sights and sounds of Halloween can be a traumatic sensory overload. But they still want and deserve to join in. That’s why, this year, Jack’s dad Chris Couper is organizing a special Halloween event in their community of Arnprior, Ont., for kids with special needs.
Recent years have seen increased public awareness about the issue of cultural sensitivity and Halloween costumes. But lurking unnoticed like a ghost is another Halloween problem: accessibility barriers for kids with physical or mental challenges. Fortunately, there are easy things you can do to make Halloween more accessible and inclusive, so all the kids in your neighbourhood can enjoy the spooky fun.
Arnprior, about 56 kilometres west of Ottawa, is a great example. On Sunday afternoon, participating homes — marked on a customized Google map — put out candy bowls early. They keep the festive decor to a minimum — no amplified shrieks or animatronic zombies that leap out from the bushes. Instead of having to pass on trick-or-treating, local special needs children donned their costumes and went door-to-door in the daylight, filling their loot bags without the mock-scariness of Halloween turning into real terror. And when Halloween arrives, the spookiness can begin for the rest of the kids.
Halloween can also be disappointing for children with severe food sensitivities. They may go trick-or-treating, but afterward all they can do is stare at their bag of loot with longing. Give them a happy Halloween by joining the Teal Pumpkin Project. Alongside your candy, have a bowl of fun non-food items such as stickers or glow sticks for all the little ghouls who can’t handle the sweet stuff. Mark your house with a teal-painted pumpkin or a poster in the window.
Now imagine you’re a child with mobility challenges. You and your parents spend days turning your wheelchair into the Batmobile. You roll up to a house to trick-or-treat, and the door is atop a flight of stairs. Don’t leave mobility-impaired superheroes out in the cold. Set up your candy bowl at ground level.
Even the way you greet children at your door can make a difference. Be welcoming with everyone who rings your doorbell — even kids who turn up without a costume or don’t shout, “Trick or treat!” Some children on the autism spectrum are non-verbal. Others have difficulty coping with wearing a costume. The feeling of unfamiliar garments or a mask on their face can trigger them. They’re just wearing their Halloween spirit on the inside, that’s all.
Halloween is one of the most wonderful days of the year for children, second only to Christmas.
Every pint-sized Black Panther and Wonder Woman deserves to be included in the fun.
For children on the autism spectrum ..., the sights and sounds of Halloween can be a traumatic sensory overload.