Before we get into it: if Thanksgiving is already sitting heavy, the Holiday Survival Kit has the whole day planned. Game plan, quiet room, scripts, and a handout for relatives. $9. Get the kit
Halloween is Saturday. For a lot of our kids it's the hardest night of the year to enjoy: doorbells, masks, strangers, the dark, and a costume that itches.
You don't have to do the whole night. Here's what makes it work:
Decide when you're done before you leave. Five houses. One street. Thirty minutes. Tell him the plan, and tell him he can stop sooner.
Walk the route in daylight. Same street, same doors, no costumes. The dark night is a lot easier when the street isn't new.
He doesn't have to say "trick or treat." Holding out the bag is enough. If talking is hard, a small card that says "I'm autistic, thank you for the candy" can do the talking.
The costume can be one piece. A hat, a cape, a shirt with a pumpkin on it. Let him wear it around the house a few times this week. If it bothers him Saturday, it comes off. Regular clothes count.
Bring the break kit. Headphones, a flashlight he can hold, his water. If the signs show up, hands over the ears, pacing, asking to go home, you go. Coming home early isn't losing.
Some kids would rather be the one opening the door. Handing out candy from home is still Halloween.
And for the other side of the door: if a kid doesn't say "trick or treat," give him the candy anyway. He might not talk. He might take two. He might walk off without a thank you. None of that is rude. Forward this to whoever's handing out candy on your street.
I am with you.
