Halloween is fast approaching — a holiday that most kids (and many adults!) look forward to as soon as the fall season comes around. Pumpkin patches, trick-or-treating, creative costumes, and of course, candy! But for some kids with disabilities, Halloween can feel more “trick” than “treat.” There is no other holiday quite like it when it comes to managing behavioral triggers, sensory sensitivities, food allergies, social expectations, and your garden-variety fears (arachnophobia, anyone?!).
Between spooky yard decorations and scary costumes, children may feel sensory overwhelm and struggle to wind down for the night. And if your child already struggles to fall and stay asleep, Halloween spooks don’t really make it any easier, do they? But the spooky season can be manageable (and even fun!) with some help and support from experts and families, who have been there too.
🎃 Spooky season tip from BCBA Lindsay Pineda: “Halloween is a fun and out of the ordinary activity, so it can get a bit chaotic! Remember to focus on having fun and for your child to have fun as well. It does not matter if your plans don’t get to fruition as long as your child has fun. Be flexible! If you had planned the event and even rehearsed it but your child changed plans last minute, remember to stay calm and be flexible. Your kids’ fun will be your fun, in any way they choose to have it.”
🎃 Halloween — your way! Looking for ways to make Halloween more accessible, safe and FUN for your little ghosts and goblins? Check out our article, Creating a More Inclusive Halloween Experience! We’ve rounded up some Halloween tips and tricks to help you manage expectations and behaviors, prepare for the “scares” beforehand, and help your family get through it and have fun — your own way!
🎃 Spooky season tip from OT Dr. Marielly Mitchell: “If possible, walk down the route you’re planning to take alone first to get a sense of how intense the decorations and setups are at each house. This should provide you with a good sense of which houses you may want to skip while trick-or-treating with your little one. Try to avoid houses that are crowded, and limit the number of houses you visit.”
🕸 Have yourself a sensory-friendly Halloween. Traditional Halloween set-ups and costumes can involve a lot of triggers for children with sensitivities. From fake spider webs, fog machines, face paint, bright lights, and loud noises to itchy, restricting material, the list of causes for a possible sensory meltdown goes on. Dive into our article Sensory Processing Disorder and Sensory Diets for tips and tricks on sensory-avoidance and sensory-seeking, examples of activities that could be included in a sensory diet, IEP accommodations for sensory processing issues, and more!
Bonus: add this goal to your Undivided account for the step-by-step process to finding an occupational therapist who can assess your child’s sensory needs and develop a treatment plan to help your child build skill.
👻 A season of sleep challenges is upon us — from Halloween spooks and sugary treats to daylight savings time. Because what’s scarier than a zombie knocking on your door? The fear of our kids’ sleep schedules getting thrown off! From insomnia and sleep apnea, to trying to get your toddler to stay in bed or managing a teenager who doesn’t want to go to sleep — we’ve dived into your biggest sleep challenges and rounded up real, practical solutions that actually work. Start with our article Sleep Issues in Children with Disabilities, then head to Interventions to Help Children Who Have Trouble Sleeping.
🎃 Spooky season tip: while Halloween comes with its own set of traditions, they’re not requirements — you can do Halloween your way! For example: pick out costumes that feel good to them (even if it’s just a t-shirt!), have virtual Halloween fun, trick-or-treat inside the house, wear “no boo” necklaces to events, paint pumpkins instead of carving them, do a “trunk or treat,” etc.
RSVP now to join our FREE, live, virtual event → How Public and Private Health Plans Work Together
If you have both private insurance and Medi-Cal, it’s easier to get your child’s medical and therapeutic expenses covered — if you know how to maximize your benefits! Join us on Thursday, November 14 at 1:00 p.m. PT for a live Q&A with Lisa Concoff Kronbeck and Leslie Lobel, Undivided’s specialists in public benefits and health plans, who will share their tips on using multiple health plans together and answer audience questions! Register for the FREE event here→
Undivided Conversation: Creating Effective Sensory Diets for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder
Discover how a personalized sensory diet can help your child with a sensory processing disorder! Kelli Smith, MS OTR/L, founder and director of Abundance Therapies, and Dr. Marielly Mitchell, OTD, OTR/L, SIPT, SWC, founder and CEO of TheraPlay LA, share expert tips on creating an effective sensory diet tailored to your child’s unique needs. Tune in for stream on Friday, October 25 at 12 p.m. PT on our Facebook page!
Office Hours with Independent Facilitator Iris Barker
Are you curious about Regional Center’s Self-Determination Program and how it might improve your child’s services and supports? Join us Wednesday, October 30 at 12:00 p.m. PT for a special SDP-focused Office Hours! Our resident SDP expert and Independent Facilitator Iris Barker, will be available to answer questions about who is eligible, the benefits of a person-centered plan, and how to take advantage of this program. Office Hours are open to Undivided members only, so if you’d like to attend, sign up here to begin your free Kickstart!
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- Maintaining a routine can be so important for good sleep. Hear why from Dr. Doreen Samuelson on our YouTube channel→
- Hear Undivided Navigators give their top tips for having a sensory-friendly Halloween, including advice about costumes! Check it out on our Instagram→
- Traditional Halloween celebrations are sometimes too stimulating for our kids, so we’re big fans of planning fun alternate activities! Share your ideas in our private Facebook group for parents→
- Are any organizations or companies in your area hosting special disability-friendly Halloween activities? Tag Undivided on LinkedIn to let us know→
- Want to save Undivided resources to read later? Bookmark topics you’re interested in and curate your own learning library with a FREE Undivided account! Get started→
