Kids of all ages celebrate Halloween with a fun night of costumes and trick-or-treating. But the excitement can be overwhelming for some children and young adults with autism.
One way to help kids with autism enjoy the holiday is to let them know what it's all about ahead of time with the help of a social story. Social stories use pictures, photos and words to outline an event that may be a challenge to deal with. They are useful tools for helping kids with developmental disabilities understand and prepare for certain situations.
Autism advocacy group, Autism Speaks, has put together a great social story that's available on their website that can help kids with autism prepare for the celebration. Their social story includes pictures of Halloween decorations and kids in costumes. It describes the holiday and outlines some common ways to celebrate like trick-or-treating or visiting haunted houses.
"No matter how I choose to celebrate," the social story says, "Halloween is lots of fun!"
You can download the Autism Speaks Halloween Social Story HERE!