10 Tips for a Sensory Sensitive Halloween

A guide to Trick-or-Treating with someone on the Autism Spectrum

1. Costume selection.

When possible, Include your child in the decision-making process of picking out their costumes and have them try it on before Halloween night! This will help determine comfort and any potential sensitivities to the material.

2. Make it predictable. 

Consistency: Keep their daily routines as normal as possible. Try not to change anything that doesn’t need to be changed.

• E.g., after school routines, dinner routines, etc.

3. Avoid getting spooked!

Take away the surprise of Halloween by talking about what happens on Halloween night (e.g., people wear costumes, lots of people might come to the door, candy is given out, etc.). Use strategies such as:

• Video models

• Social stories

• Visuals

• Priming: Reminding your child what to expect or what to do before the event occurs

4. Teach the tricks of trick-or-treating.

Use the Behaviour Skills Training Model (BST) to prepare your child for trick-or-treating:

• Provide them with instruction on how to trick-or-treat

• Model how to trick or treat

• Give them an opportunity to practice trick or treating

• And most importantly provide them with behavior-specific feedback!

5. Perfect it with PECS!

Is your child non-verbal? Try using PECS. PECS stands for Picture Exchange Communication System. It allows someone who struggles with verbal communication to help others understand them. Try a lanyard your child can present at each house in exchange for candies.

Have fun with it. Add a funny phrase to get your neighbors in the spirit and make it clear how they can help your child.

“Trick or Treat! I may not speak but thank you for the yummy treats!” 

6. Make a Trick-or-Treat Trail.

Map out your route, get a sense of the streets and houses you want to visit. Find out which houses may be too scary or pose challenges with too much loud music/sound effects or decorations so you can avoid them on the actual trip.

7. Get in a practice run.

The day before walk the neighborhood, visit the houses you and your child plan to trick-or-treat at.  If neighbors are willing, ring their doorbells and practice.

8. Avoid Zombie herds

To keep your child comfortable head out either early before all the prime-time hustle and bustle or go out later in the evening when most trick-or-treaters have gone home and the streets are quieter.

9. Two-headed monsters are better than one so pair up.

Pair up with family or friends on Halloween night. Having a family member or friend who knows the routine is helpful. They can be a peer model during trick or treating.

10. Keep an open mind (just not around hungry zombies).

Have an open mind to the way your child might like to get involved or participate in Halloween. Trick-or-treating may not be right for them. 

They may prefer to just walk around the neighborhood dressed up without trick-or-treating. Maybe they just want to walk around and look at all the different costumes or maybe handing out the candy to other children who come to your door is what they’d prefer. Have fun!