Re: Tips to Make Halloween Enjoyable for Children with ASD

[Guest guest]

I liked the tips on Halloween, but it didn't address one of our biggest obstacles every year. My son is scared of EVERYTHING...not even kidding, he won't even go into the Halloween section of any store because he MIGHT see a skeleton. He loves dressing up for Halloween, and of course, LOVES the candy, but any hint of something scary he loses it. Every year I have to calm him down, and just be on the lookout for anything that looks like a haunted house, or a person who likes to sit on their front porch in a scary mask to hand the candy out to the kids. I give him a pep talk every year, but the smallest things scare him. I think it's one of his obsessions, is being scared of everything..that may sound odd, but he won't even watch Nickelodeon anymore because he

saw a Goosebumps(the R.L. Stine books) commercial on it a few months ago. Does anyone else have these problems???

From: O'Brien <nicole.obrien@...> Sent: Sun, October 18, 2009 2:25:47 PMSubject: ( ) Tips to Make Halloween Enjoyable for Children with ASD

Got this from the Autism Society of Newfoundland & Labrador… thought I’d share

=)

Tips to Make Halloween Enjoyable for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Wearing a costume is unfamiliar, as is going from house to house to ask for treats. New routines and behaviours can be enjoyable for kids on the spectrum when they are approached with planning, and the necessary supports are identified and provided. Following are some things you can do ahead of time to help your child enjoy this child-focused occasion:

1. Begin early (even a month before) to prepare your child for Halloween activities. Read a story about Halloween and the activities that surround it, like carving pumpkins, wearing costumes, and trick-or-treating. Teach your child the skills involved in participating—knocking on the door, holding out the bag, saying "trick or treat" or using assistive technology (a picture or device) to communicate the message, and then saying "thank you."

2. Help your child choose a costume that will reflect his interests. Let him practice wearing the costume around the house while practicing the skills. If wearing a costume is irritating, ask him if he would rather wear face paint, a scarf, or a hat on Halloween. No costume is also OK.

3. Write a social narrative describing what your child will do on Halloween. Include in this story information about wearing the costume (if she will) or face paint, and carrying the trick-or-treat bag. Identify which houses your child will visit, what your child will say at each house, and what she will do with the treats she receives.

4. Create a visual schedule with the Halloween activities for the evening marked on it.

5. Let your child practice trick-or-treating with familiar individuals and houses. If he has a restricted diet, give these individuals special treats for him.

6. Keep the trick-or-treating session short and comfortable. If two houses are her limit, that is fine.

7. Teach your child to give out candy for trick-or-treaters. Use role play to let him practice the skill before Halloween. Write a social narrative about this aspect of Halloween so he will know what to expect and what to do when the doorbell rings that evening. This way, even if his trick-or-treating session is short, he will be involved in the celebration.

8. Remember, practice helps make any activity feel like a routine!

[Guest guest]

, my 11 y.o. daughter is this way. She has been scared of most

Halloween stuff since age 2. Last year we attempted Trick or Treating

but she ended up wanting to go to the car after seeing a few yards

decorated like graveyards. She avoids the Halloween sections of stores

too so we had to buy a costume online. We're playing it safe and having

a small family Halloween party with my parents and nieces, and she says

she refuses to go trick or treating at all.

She used to be terrified of mummies after looking at a National

Geographic magazine at school. We are super careful to avoid scary

commercials for horror movies because she accidentally saw one during

the rose parade a couple of years ago and it really got stuck in her

head. She had the hardest time falling asleep for a couple of months

after that. I think some kids are just more visually sensitive so even

though they know those things are fake, they provoke real feelings of

terror. She is also terrified to see movies in the theater. Does your

son have a problem in that area? Wish we had those sensory-friendly

theaters in our area, but we don't.

Good luck on halloween this year. ;0

>

> I liked the tips on Halloween, but it didn't address one of our

biggest obstacles every year. My son is scared of EVERYTHING...not

even kidding, he won't even go into the Halloween section of any store

because he MIGHT see a skeleton. He loves dressing up for

Halloween, and of course, LOVES the candy, but any hint of something

scary he loses it. Every year I have to calm him down, and just be

on the lookout for anything that looks like a haunted house, or a person

who likes to sit on their front porch in a scary mask to hand the candy

out to the kids. I give him a pep talk every year, but the smallest

things scare him. I think it's one of his obsessions, is being

scared of everything..that may sound odd, but he won't even watch

Nickelodeon anymore because he saw a Goosebumps(the R.L. Stine

books) commercial on it a few months ago. Does anyone else have

these problems???

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Mine does like to go to the movies, surprisingly! He has always enjoyed going to the movies, so that is one thing that our children don't have in common. But everything you mentioned is dead on! We got my kids costumes from the Disney store, so we didn't have to go into the halloween dept of the store. But he will litterally walk by these isles with his hands over his eyes, and at first I thought it wasn't that serious, until i told him to stop, and he spazzed, so I just avoid it like the plague now. The part that made me feel so bad for him on these serious fears was he used dto LOVE Nickelodeon. iCarley, spongebob, etc...not that I miss spongebob!..but he won't even let me turn that channel on because of a commercial! I found myself one day that he

was being completely awful to me threatening to take the lights out of his room to make him sleep in the dark. It may sound cruel, but he had pushed me over the edge.

From: <kellypywtorak@...> Sent: Mon, October 19, 2009 1:16:50 AMSubject: Re: ( ) Tips to Make Halloween Enjoyable for Children with ASD

, my 11 y.o. daughter is this way. She has been scared of mostHalloween stuff since age 2. Last year we attempted Trick or Treatingbut she ended up wanting to go to the car after seeing a few yardsdecorated like graveyards. She avoids the Halloween sections of storestoo so we had to buy a costume online. We're playing it safe and havinga small family Halloween party with my parents and nieces, and she saysshe refuses to go trick or treating at all.She used to be terrified of mummies after looking at a NationalGeographic magazine at school. We are super careful to avoid scarycommercials for horror movies because she accidentally saw one duringthe rose parade a couple of years ago and it really got stuck in herhead. She had the hardest time falling asleep for a couple of monthsafter that. I think some kids are just more visually sensitive so eventhough they know those things are fake, they

provoke real feelings ofterror. She is also terrified to see movies in the theater. Does yourson have a problem in that area? Wish we had those sensory-friendlytheaters in our area, but we don't.Good luck on halloween this year. ;0>> I liked the tips on Halloween, but it didn't address one of ourbiggest obstacles every year. My son is scared of EVERYTHING.. .noteven kidding, he won't even go into the Halloween section of any storebecause he MIGHT see a skeleton. He loves dressing up forHalloween, and of course, LOVES the candy, but any hint of somethingscary he loses it. Every year I have to calm him down, and just beon the lookout for anything that looks

like a haunted house, or a personwho likes to sit on their front porch in a scary mask to hand the candyout to the kids. I give him a pep talk every year, but the smallestthings scare him. I think it's one of his obsessions, is beingscared of everything.. that may sound odd, but he won't even watchNickelodeon anymore because he saw a Goosebumps(the R.L. Stinebooks) commercial on it a few months ago. Does anyone else havethese problems???>> >

[Guest guest]

On Jun 16, 8:24pm, Chambers wrote:

} tacles every year.=C2=A0 My son is scared of EVERYTHING...not even kidding,=

} he won't even go into the Halloween section of any store because he MIGHT =

} see a skeleton.=C2=A0 He loves dressing up for Halloween, and of course, LO=

} VES the candy, but any hint of something scary he loses it.=C2=A0 Every yea=

} r I have to calm him down, and just be on the lookout for anything that loo=

} ks like a haunted house, or a person who likes to sit on their front porch =

} in a scary mask to hand the candy out to the kids.=C2=A0 I give him a pep t=

} alk every year, but the smallest things scare him.=C2=A0 I think it's one o=

} f his obsessions, is being scared of everything..that may sound odd, but he=

} won't even watch Nickelodeon anymore because he saw a Goosebumps(the R.L. =

} Stine books)=C2=A0commercial on it a few months ago.=C2=A0 Does anyone else=

} have these problems???

This reminds me a lot of myself. I used to have periods as a teenager when

ads for a scary movie would be traumatic for me, I would have to close my

eyes, stick my fingers in my eyes and sing loudly whenever one came on t.v.

It wasn't consistent, so I suspect it had to do with my general anxiety

level. I am still somewhat sensitive to scary movies.

I'm afraid I don't have any helpful advice, except to try and find

something he can use as a defense. My little guy seems to be totally

fearless these days but used to have irrational fears, like that there

were invisible dogs under his bed. I put up a " no real or invisible dogs

allowed! " sign on his door and would demand firmly that any dogs in the room

get out when I put him to bed. I've heard of people making " no monster "

wands or pretend magic spray or things like that. Think about what might

work for your child. Since his fear is so generalized, perhaps some kind

of overall protection device?

Willa