This may be a bit of a ramble, but I have read a couple of posts referencing Halloween and ways to prepare your kids with sensory needs or autism for trick or treating or other festive events, and it brought to mind some of the funny things that have happened with Michael.
Our First Attempt
The first year we took him out, he was only 2 and we had an adorable giraffe costume that had been handed down from an older cousin. He would not keep the hood up for love or money. He did allow us to lead him up to people, but while they were trying to give him candy, he was attempting to go past them into their house.
It occurred to me after a while that it must seem strange for a child to be taken to someone’s house but then not go inside even though the people are home, and then to keep going up to more people’s houses but never going inside for a visit!
At Daycare
The following year, the daycare he was attending went into the office building they were part of and trick or treated at the various offices. Michael was completely confused by this and had no idea what to do. This was following his diagnosis of autism, but before we really knew what to do about any of this stuff.
Fast forward to December, and the daycare went into the same office building to sing Christmas Carols. Well, this time Michael knew just what to do – he walked right up to people and said “Trick or treat”! Of course, he was quite upset that they didn’t give him candy like the first time. 
Since Then
In the years since that time, he has enjoyed Trick or Treat overall. He enjoys picking out a costume and has walked around for longer each year than the year before, ending the evening by helping me hand out candy at home, which he seems to enjoy even more!
Here’s a few of his more recent costumes – not sure what he’s going to be this year:
Superman - Age 4
Diego - Age 5
Speed Racer - Age 6
Mustard - Age 7
What are your kids going to be for Halloween?
I'm a mom with Asperger's raising an amazing son with autism, which means I'm basically the case manager/advocate/cheerleader/chauffeur. The rest of the time, you can usually find me with my nose in a book!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Love the mustard costume and the huge smile in all the pics. My son tried going as a fireman one year but was overcome by heat and thew up in his fireman hat. Since then he has gone every year as a weather man. This year I think we convinced him to go as an elevator repairman.
Weather man sounds like a good one. I’d be interested to see how you
designate an elevator repairman as different from another type of repairman.
Our son would walk with us, trying so hard to follow our direction with a look of utter confusion about his face. It didn’t take him long to recognize that candy was being handed out for apparently no reason at all. Love the inventiveness of the costumes! He looks thrilled.
Trick or treat certainly has a great built-in reinforcer, huh?
My son doesn’t do costumes. Each year we negotiate, and each year he declines. We do well with things like an M&M, which can be slipped right over clothes. Keep in mind with costumes that they are pften made of scratchy fabric with feel-able seams, and can restrict movement. Never mind that they’re a change. So yeah, he hates them. And he hates the holiday in general (for us, it’s Purim) because it’s so busy.
Or maybe it’s th fact that we give candy, not get it….
One of the benefits of having a child who is hyposensitive to most stimuli
rather than the other way around, I guess! And Michael loves handing out
the candy because he gets to be in charge and imitate the phrases I use to
comment on kids’ costumes – it’s pretty funny actually.
It was definitely harder when he was younger, but now he really enjoys it.