Hey there friends,
The magic of Halloween is upon us, and we want everyone to experience the joy of this season, including those with sensory sensitivities and needs. 🍁👻
Itchy costumes. Sticky candy…possibly stuck in your back teeth. Sore feet from shoes you don’t usually wear. Cold noses and toes from the chilly late October air. So many loud noises. Flickering strobe lights at the neighbor’s haunted house decorations. Friends running and shouting your name to catch up! 🎃
Halloween can be just plain overwhelming for pretty much all of our sensory systems. So if you or your child feel overwhelmed by this holiday, you are not alone! Dysregulation makes sense, considering all that’s involved.
🤗Here’s what we’ll be doing in my family this season to set my own sensory seeker up with front-loaded supports that feel meaningful for her. 🎃✨
1️⃣ Practice wearing costumes, face paint, make-up, hats, gloves, specific shoes, etc many times before you’ll actually plan to wear it
2️⃣ Have tools on hand for when I need them including noise canceling headphones, gum, chew necklaces, ice, something to squish
3️⃣ Try a social story. My best tips would be to keep it simple, use as many real life photos as you can, stick to the facts, and read it more than once it you can
4️⃣ Prepare an exit plan! If all else fails and you and/or your kid needs “an out” during whatever festivities you may be participating in, it’s important to discuss this plan ahead of time with other grown-ups and even with your kids so they know it’s okay to take a break if we need one.
Let's make Halloween a time of joy, inclusion, and sensory-friendly fun! 🧙♀️🦇
PS: I’m sharing with you the social story we’ll be using this weekend as a freebie and thank you for being part of our community! You can download it here. Don’t forget to add as many real life pictures that you are able to before printing it out and reading it with your child!
Wishing you a safe holiday weekend,
Abbie & Emily💖