Halloween Blue Buckets Help Raise Awareness for Autism
Every child always anticipates Halloween not necessarily because of the costumes but for the huge piles of candy! Kids try to collect as much candy as possible before the night ends. However, this annual event can be an overwhelming experience for some children who are autistic. One mom shared her concern on Facebook last year and her post went viral.
Alicia Plumer has a son named BJ, and he is autistic. According to Alicia's post featured in a recent article from House Beautiful, BJ loves Halloween, and she wanted him to enjoy the holiday.
Autism Speaks states autism is a spectrum disorder that "refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication." Speech can be difficult for children or teenagers who are autistic which means saying "trick-or-treat" can be a real challenge.
In order to make candy-givers more sensitive to Alicia's son's special circumstances, he carried a blue bucket to receive his treats rather than say the traditionally famous words at the front door.
Although the blue buckets are not the official symbol for autistic trick-or-treaters, it is something parents can consider utilizing to help their children enjoy the popular Halloween activity. Parents can also alert candy-givers that their child is autistic by holding a sign or wearing a sticker. Hopefully, these modifications will insure a fun-filled, relaxing Halloween for these children and their concerned parents!
Sources: House Beautiful, Autism Speaks