Trick-or-Treating Tips for Kids on the Spectrum

Trick-or-Treating Tips for Kids on the Spectrum

Halloween is a much-celebrated and anticipated holiday for kids. And kids at heart. It’s a part of childhood, and the joy of it all should be experienced by every kiddo, including those with autism if they want to participate.

The tricky part is finding a way to celebrate Halloween in a way that makes your kiddo with autism feel comfortable with aspects of the holiday that may cause them anxiety, like saying trick or treat, wearing itchy costumes, hearing loud noises, or seeing bright, flashing lights.

As the gold standard in autism care, ABA therapy supports children’s growth and development in all of these areas (and more) by helping them learn communication skills, identify social cues and interact with others, and find ways to navigate sensory sensitivities – with the ultimate goal of ensuring each child is able to reach their full potential.

Parents can do a lot to help their child this Halloween, too. Here are a few ways to make Halloween more treat than trick for your kiddo, plus handy information on local Halloween events that can help you plan just the right celebration for your ghost or goblin.

Take the fright out of Halloween with these tips

  • Prepare your kiddo for the change to their routine. Tell them in advance about when Halloween is and what happens on that day, using fun pictures and easy to understand words. Social stories, a technique used in ABA therapy, are a great example of how to do this. Why do we have to prepare kids with autism for changes to their routine? Because children rely on routines to know what will happen from day to day and hour to hour. When the unexpected happens that interrupts their routine, children are forced to quickly process what’s happening (which can be difficult), and not knowing what is expected of them or what they might encounter can make them anxious and even act out. Keep reminding your kiddo about the fun they’ll have on Halloween and what will happen on that day. Using a calendar and counting down to the day is another way to ensure your child will be prepared and excited in a good way about Halloween.
  • Choose a costume that is comfortable and reflects your kiddo’s interests. Let them decide what they want to go as, even if you think it’s a bit odd or worry what other people might think. Costumes are a challenge as it is for kids with autism, because they’re typically made of material kids wouldn’t normally wear, making them uncomfortable, stiff, hot, and itchy. Loving they’re costume will make it easier for everyone. Keep in mind that a costume can be as simple as a t-shirt with a fun Halloween design or your child’s favorite cartoon or TV character on it. Themed hoodies are another comfortable option, like this Bluey set for the whole family. Search online retailers for sensory friendly Halloween costumes or adaptive Halloween costumes. Etsy is also worth a look for fun Halloween gear that address both sensory and autism needs, from t-shirts and totes to fidget toys and more. Once you have a costume, let your child practice wearing it around the house for a few minutes at a time to get used to it, working up to wearing for longer periods. You could also use this time to practice trick-or-treating with your child. Let them knock on your front door or ring the doorbell and say trick-or-treat in their own way. Be sure to reward them for their efforts with praise, a cookie, or time playing on a device. Whatever they like best. In ABA therapy, this is known as positive reinforcement.
  • Worried about all that candy? Plan a substitution strategy. Children with autism can have special dietary needs that would limit their candy intake. But you can still make it fun for your kiddo by substituting the candy they brought home with other things they would like, like small toys, books, and other items. They don’t have to be Halloween-themed. Just things your child would enjoy. You might also consider employing the relatively new idea of the Switch Witch. Similar to the tooth fairy, but instead of a fairy taking a tooth in exchange for money, the Switch Witch takes Halloween candy and leaves behind healthier options or other fun items.
  • Of course, think about the safety of your kiddo. Little things can make a big difference. Take a photo of your child before leaving the house and make sure they have identification on them. This is especially important if your child is non-verbal. Try to trick-or-treat early when there’s still some daylight left. Use glow sticks or bracelets that light up so you can more easily keep an eye on them – and they can keep an eye on you. Also take a flashlight with you, and plan your route ahead of time, including breaks so your child doesn’t get overwhelmed by it all. Even if your child only goes to a few houses, their accomplishment is worth celebrating.
  • Consider other activities instead of traditional trick-or-treating. For a more controlled environment, Trunk-or-Treat events are a great option for many families. They’re often more accessible and inclusive for kids with special needs, like autism. There are also dozens of Halloween happenings throughout North Texas to celebrate the season, like pumpkin patches and fall festivals. This site offers a list of family events throughout Dallas and Collin County.

We hope you have a wonderful Halloween however you decide to celebrate. The most important thing is to have fun, even if things don’t go as planned. Often times, that’s when you learn the most.

You might also like from our blog:

How to Make Halloween More Fun for Kids with Autism, October 2023

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Ashvina attended University of Bombay and graduated with a Bachelors of Commerce. She got her Montessori Diploma in 1985 and taught ever since. Ashvina came to TBE in January of 2016 as Admin Assistant. During the years she got the opportunity to learn and work in different departments such as HR, Finance, Office Manager and Executive Assistant. Last summer TBE bought billing in house and her current focus area is Revenue Cycle Management. She is detail oriented and enjoys working with people. Ashvina volunteers to deliver meals to seniors and local shelters on the weekend. She loves to spend time with her family and grandkids. Ashvina loves her job because she enjoys hearing different points of view, and she feels her contributions help fuel the direction of our company.

Working with children comes naturally to Angela. Her mom was a special education teacher for 30 years and often had Angela join her for Take Your Child to Work Day. And in high school, Angela spent every summer as the nanny for a little boy with an autism spectrum disorder. It was this experience where her passion for working with children with autism started to blossom.

From there, she went on to graduate from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences. She learned about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in a non-normative development class and from that moment knew that ABA would be her life’s work.

Angela moved to the DFW area shortly after and began working at The Behavior Exchange as a therapist. She worked on her Master’s in Behavior Analysis at the same time. A year after graduating, she earned certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Now, as a Clinical Director at The Behavior Exchange, she brings a life-long passion to her work, holding a special place in her heart for children with limited language skills and working closely with families to develop healthy sleep habits.

Danielle’s passion for working with families is deeply personal and from the heart. Her younger brother has an autism spectrum disorder, and through their journey as a family, she found her purpose in life as an advocate for individuals with special needs.

After graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, Danielle began volunteering at The Behavior Exchange. She saw passionate therapists, meaningful change for clients, and families with hope for the future. After a summer of volunteering, she officially joined the team as Director of Admissions and found her home with The Behavior Exchange family.

With her extensive experience working as a client advocate with insurance providers, Danielle perseveres to help individuals of all ages and abilities receive the services they need to reach their full potential. She feels truly honored by each and every family who entrusts The Behavior Exchange to be part of their journey and is committed to the organization’s core values, mission, and goal of being a beacon of hope for the community.

Adam has always had a passion for helping individuals of all ages thrive and reach their full potential. He’s also an enthusiastic musician, songwriter, leader, and devoted family man, who has been helping children and team members grow with The Behavior Exchange since 2010.

Prior to joining the team at The Behavior Exchange, Adam was a mortgage loan consultant and grad student, pursuing his master’s degree in Education at the University of North Texas. He graduated in 2013 and also earned a graduate academic certificate in Autism Intervention. The following year, after years as a Behavior Therapist and seeing first-hand the power of ABA and the meaningful impact it can have on children and their families, Adam became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. He then commenced from the Stagen Leadership Academy after completing the Integral Leadership Program (ILP), a 52-week practice-based program designed to develop executives serious about transforming themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

Adam is truly grateful to be a part of a dynamic, inspiring and compassionate team, and he’s dedicated to bettering the lives of all children and their families through the delivery of the highest quality of ABA services, while supporting the amazing team at The Behavior Exchange.

Soraya is from South Africa and moved to Texas in 1996. She graduated from The University of Texas and pursued a career, at that time, in Education. Soraya taught at a Montessori school for a few years and then took on a leadership role.

During her time in the education system, Soraya realized her passion was to assist children with special needs. So she joined The Behavior Exchange as a therapist, transitioned into a supervisory role in 2017, and a year and a half later, was promoted to Clinical Operations Manager.

She quickly learned the ins and outs of ABA operations and scheduling and successfully collaborates across departments to ensure The Behavior Exchange continues to provide quality services to clients and their families. She’s thankful to be part of such an amazing organization and excited to see what the future holds.

You could say Walter’s career started when he spent hours as a young child drawing superheroes and coloring maps. This passion, along with extraordinary swimming skills, landed him a full swimming scholarship at Texas Christian University, where he graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Graphics.

During the next 13 years, his design and art direction skills, conceptual-thinking abilities, and marketing-savvy know-how were honed at a few prestigious advertising and marketing agencies around the Dallas area. In the mid 2000s, he helped his wife Tammy Cline-Soza (founder and CEO of The Behavior Exchange) create a unique and concise brand for her new business. From logos and websites to uniforms, brand voice and visuals, Walter has been the main creative force for all things The Behavior Exchange.

Aside from giving birth to The Behavior Exchange brand, Walter is helping Tammy raise two amazing, beautiful children, River and Sierra. In his spare time (the two minutes he’s got per week), you can find Walter illustrating iconic landmarks of Dallas and Texas or looking around for this next open-water swim. Once he gets back in shape.

After 20 years of building The Behavior Exchange, literally from the ground up,
Tammy couldn’t be more proud of the team, culture, and organization that it has become.

As a family helping families, The Behavior Exchanges looks for opportunities that will make the biggest impact and produce life-changing outcomes – for clients, families, and even for team members. Tammy believes that if a team, a family, a community takes care of each other, the possibilities are endless and the relationships built along the way can make life more enriching and challenges easier to navigate. You could say her goal has been to build a kind of utopia full of support, love, and expertise that brings the best services possible to the community and ensures more families have access to those services.

Tammy and her family have dedicated their lives to the mission of The Behavior Exchange and continue to grow, learn, cultivate, challenge, support, and create better models for success. To that end, she is committed to her own leadership development and actively participates in advanced training, mentoring, and deep self-exploration on how to live out her purpose to love and support her family and help others reach their full potential. She takes her position very seriously and tries to serve as a channel for what the universe wants to come to fruition.

She also loves travel, gardening, being creative, MUSIC!, tennis, yoga, meditation, journaling, reading, being in nature, adventures, and more than anything, spending time with her husband Walter and their two beautiful children, River and Sierra.