It’s the rare child who doesn’t look forward to celebrating
Halloween. Children with disabilities are no exception. Depending on the issues
presented by your child’s disability you may need to come up with some creative
ideas to make the most of the holiday. We’ve surfed the web to find the best
advice for making your Halloween fun and accessible.
1. Be creative!
Now six years old,
Elena Walke, daughter of Easter Seal’s blogger, Bernhard Walke, was
born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. As a very little girl, Elena was
unable to sit up on her own. That didn’t prevent her father and mother from
making sure Elena celebrated Halloween in style. Since
Elena needed to be held, her parents dressed up as chefs, and carried Elena,
who was wearing a bright red lobster costume, around the neighborhood in a
giant pot!
2. Incorporate the wheelchair
If
your child uses a wheelchair, make it an important part of his costume. Cinderellas
can ride door to door in beautifully decorated coaches, and Batmans’ wheelchairs
can be transformed into bat-mobiles! For more great ideas on wheelchair
decorating, visit Magic
Wheelchair.com a nonprofit started by Ryan and Lana Weimer, parents of five children,
three of whom have spinal muscular atrophy.
3. Make the costume comfortable
If
your child has sensory integration issues, be sure that the costume she wears
doesn’t have tags, seams or a texture that irritates her skin. Likewise,
make-up or masks may be too uncomfortable for those who are sensitive. Easter
Seals, N.J. recommends using “long
popsicle sticks and construction paper to create handheld masks of your
favorite characters.” Don’t forget to have your child try on her costume prior
to Halloween night. This way, if the costume is uncomfortable, you’ll have time
to make any necessary alterations.
4. Make the most of
your child’s special interest
Children on the autism spectrum are often hyper-focused on
one particular topic. Be it a Disney character, a superhero, or an inanimate
object, Halloween is an ideal opportunity to let your child go to town,
creating a costume that reflects what he loves. For examples of awesome
Halloween costumes that were created to reflect the obsessions of children on
the autism spectrum, visit The
Mighty.
5. Prepare your child for what she may
encounter
Halloween
can be scary! If your child is fearful or has trouble adapting to the
unexpected, make sure to talk with him about anything that might be upsetting
to him and devise a game plan for how you will handle it should an especially
ghoulish creature come around the corner. If your child is simply too
frightened or over-stimulated by the Halloween action, don’t insist he
trick-or-treats. Have a Halloween celebration at home, and if he is willing, let
him answer the door for other trick-or-treaters. Then try again next year.
6. Plan for any dietary restrictions
Some
children with special needs aren’t able to partake in the treats typically
distributed on Halloween. Make sure your child doesn’t feel deprived by having
some of her favorite goodies on hand. You may also decide to make an exception
to your child’s special diet on Halloween.
7. Get your child’s service dog in on the
fun
If
your child has a service dog, it can be a wonderful accessory that will make him
the envy of other trick-or-treaters. Ramona Taylor, writing for United Cerebral Palsy’s blog, My
Child Without Limits makes the following suggestion: “Your child could be a circus performer and
their dog can be their very well trained lion.” When dressing up your
service dog, take precautions to ensure that the dog isn’t uncomfortable.
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