Make Halloween a Treat for Neurodivergent Kids
Everything about Halloween is a sensory overload. From people dressed in costumes to asking strangers for sweet treats to spooky decorations of ghosts and monsters howling at you - it can be a lot, especially for children with neurodivergent abilities. Overstimulation can create agitation, frustration, and not a very fun day for your little one. And then it becomes hard to communicate with your child when they are overwhelmed.
We’ve put together some tips to help your child have a less stressful Halloween:
Prepare
Talk to them about Halloween: Teach them about what Halloween is. Explaining all the gory details can make this holiday much less scary for children. Start having those conversations when you pass by a house with festive decorations or while you’re at Target shopping for a costume. Slowly bring their attention to aspects of the holiday.
Temper expectations: Before the planning step, walk them through what to expect on the specific day of celebrating - whether that is in a classroom or while you are out trick or treating. Discuss the day, step by step, movement by movement to continue to paint a picture of what the child can expect. Sugar seems to always be involved with the holidays, which can also cause some meltdowns so discuss the plan with candy ahead of time. Make sure those plans are discussed in the preparation stage.
Plan
Role-play the day: Practice the act of trick or treating at your house. Try on costumes multiple times to get your child comfortable with them. (Hot tip: use comfortable and soft fabrics for costumes). Practice having someone knock on your door asking for candy. Whatever your plans for that day, practice them.
Win at Candyland: Have them practice what you plan on having them do with that big bag of candy that they worked so hard for. You can practice with fake candy or plastic coins to get them to understand that something of value will need to wait. Patience is hard for any child, but one on sensory overload can quickly have a meltdown. Practice having them give away their treat bag, and wait to give them something from it. Practice makes permanent and they’ll know what to expect when all that sugar comes their way.
Participate
Make sure they’re comfortable - If your child wants to participate in all the activities you’ve prepared them for, make sure they have their comfort items with them from headphones to their favorite stuffie. Take breaks throughout the day to make sure they are doing ok.
Manage the sugar rush: It’s amazing how kids can quickly down a candy before you even realize it. Have available healthy snacks to help with any sugar crash such as an apple with peanut butter or pistachios and a cheese stick. And if you’ve planned ahead, provide toys (festive temporary tattoos are a favorite or mine) to trade for sugary treats so that they can have other options besides chocolate, gummies, and caramel, oh my!
Make your own traditions: Maybe trick or treating doesn’t fit into your day? Make your own traditions that fit in your family’s lifestyle and plan. Make fresh popcorn at home with different and fun toppings and then pop in a fun movie for the night. Listen to oldies music and have a dance-off in costume at your house. Don’t forget to turn off that porch light if you don’t want trick-or-treaters to notify neighbors you aren’t participating.
The preparation portion is crucial for sensory-sensitive children during this season. If you have any difficulty communicating with your child, reach out to us. We’re here to help you connect with your child and create a healthy communication structure for situations such as these.
