Autistic kids cope with Halloween
Halloween can be scary for some kids, but for 9-yearold Matthew Zadwardnicki, who has autism, it’s extra frightening.
Being arounds warms of children and seeing people in strange costumes has kept him from celebrating Halloween so far.
“I’m trying to teach him more about imagination, so he can see others, see how they dress up, see that it’s just imaginary, not real life,” his mother, Cindy Zadwardnicki, said.
Matthew dressed up for the first time Monday at the Maier Centre for Autism Services, which held a “safe” Halloween party to familiarize children with autism with the ritual of knocking on doors and dressing up in costumes.
Terri Duncan, the Edmonton centre’s executive director, said Halloween can be upsetting for children with autism, who depend on routine.
“(I know) a bunch of parents that just ignore the whole thing,” said Keith Goulden, a pediatrician who specializes in neurological development. “There are a number of kids who just aren’t going to school this week.”
He said many autistic children process sensory information differently, so parts of costumes like masks or makeup that rub on their skin or smell of Latex can bother them.
“They (also) don’t do surprise real well,” he said. “Halloween is all about having things leap out at you.”
The event was modelled on an evening of trick-ortreating.
Children in costumes walked around the centre knocking on doors, which were labelled with paper printouts of houses.
Centre staff would open the door when the children knocked and hand them candy if they said “trick or treat” and “thank you.”