Many times when I have taken my children trick or treating in the past, we have received stares and whispers.
My oldest loves dressing up for Halloween and trick or treating. His favorite is his Where’s Waldo costume, and he gets so tickled when people find him. However, many events only allow kids between a certain ages 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 when he goes with him. But even still, he is sometimes excluded.
To help, we’ve suggested using the blue bucket previously. However, we also acknowledge that not everyone knows what this means.
My youngest is non-verbal which means he can’t say Trick-or-Treat to people on Halloween. Despite trying to practice for days in advance, I still usually try to prompt him, saying something like “Say trick or treat.” When he doesn’t say anything, I tell the people, “He has autism. We’re working on saying trick or treat.” Luckily many in our community and city are understanding, and this usually works.
Of course, we’re not the only ones with this issue. Many other parents have a similar problem. Luckily for us, 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.
We just want to say thank you so much to TACA and the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation for their generous donation to the autism community!
