Learning how to trick or treat - social story
It's fun to go trick or treating! Here is what to do.
I ring the doorbell or knock on the door.
When the person answers the door I say, "Trick or treat" and hold out my bag or Halloween bucket.
The person will put candy or a different treat in my bag. I say, "Thank you!"
Then I go to the next house. When I'm tired, I can decide to go home.
There are two extra rules of trick or treating to remember. The first rule is not to go into people's houses. All kids stand outside the door and wait their turn to get their treat.
Right way Wrong way
The second rule is not to eat my candy until I get home and my mom or dad says it's okay. Eating too much candy will give me a stomachache. If I have a food allergy, some candy may not be okay to eat.
Have a fun time on Halloween!
Tips for parents
Practice trick or treating with your child ahead of time at your own door. Take your child to the Halloween section of a store and explain that people wear all kinds of costumes. Talk about the kinds of scary or funny costumes you might see. If you think your child might be afraid during trick or treating, try making a game of it (e.g. Let's see how many witches we'll see today). This will help keep your child's mind off the scary faces.
Other resources
Learning how to trick or treat - Here are more resources on learning how to trick or treat
Halloween anxiety - Here are many resources on dealing with Halloween fears and alternatives to trick or treating
Special needs Halloween costumes - Here are over 60 costume ideas for kids who are wheelchair users, don't like makeup and masks or have sensory issues.
About the writer
Dawn Villarreal runs One Place for Special Needs, a national disability resource that lets you find local and online resources, events and even other families in your neighborhood. Stay awhile and check out our site. She is also moderator of Autism Community Connection, a Yahoo group for families in Illinois. Dawn has two awesome kids and strives for a day when communities can effectively reach out to support all special needs. Reprint permission granted if you include: Reprinted with permission from One Place for Special Needs http://www.oneplaceforspecialneeds.com