Many times when I have taken my children trick or treating in the past, I have received stares and whispers. My oldest loves dressing up for Halloween and trick or treating, however many events only allow kids between a certain age to participate or get candy. Sadly he doesn’t understand why this is and in many cases gets upset or frustrated.
Luckily he has a little brother so it’s a little more accepted, but even still he is sometimes excluded. My youngest is non-verbal which has its own set of issues during Halloween. I usually speak for him and say something along the line of “Say trick or treat” and when he doesn’t reply say “He has autism. We’re working on saying trick or treat.” This usually works.
Many other parents have a similar problem and TACA (The Autism Community in Action) has come up with a solution. They have designed cards for non-verbal children and teens with autism to hand out at Halloween. They are available free of charge, including shipping through their website due to a sponsorship from the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation.
We got ours in the mail yesterday and are looking forward to trying them out this year. I was going to take one and put it on a lanyard for the kids to wear, however they are too small to read at a distance. Maybe next year one larger card could be included? To order the non-verbal cards click this link. To order the teenager cards click this link. Cards are available while supplies last. Order right away to receive delivery before Halloween.
Thank you so much to TACA and the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation for their generous donation to the autism community!
