Luke is a 3-year-old child in the spectrum of autism. Omairis Taylor, his mom, posted the picture of a blue pumpkin bucket the other day explaining what it means if you see one this Halloween season.
As Taylor explains in her Facebook post, last year she went trick-or-treating with her son and everyone expected him to ask “Trick or treat?” in order to give him the treat that every child is waiting for in this occasion. However, what they didn’t know was that Luke is a non-verbal autistic child, which means he was unlikely to say anything to them and mom had to explain this to all of her neighbors, for five blocks, as she said.
“Last year houses will wait for him to say TRICK OR TREAT in order for him to get a piece of candy and there I go explaining the situation for the next 5 blocks.”
This year she decided to go for the blue pumpkin. Blue is the color that has been associated with the organization Autism Speaks, and it is intended to raise awareness of autism. So Taylor is hoping that by having her son hold a blue bucket instead of the standard orange one, neighbors will realize he is autistic and avoid putting more stress on him by encouraging him to speak.
“Please allow him(or anyone with a BLUE BUCKET) to enjoy this day and don’t worry I’ll still say TRICK OR TREAT for him, ill get my mom candy tax later. “
Taylor is not the only mother who has taken action on Halloween. Other moms of autistic children have spoken up too and shared their own stories. Like Alicia Plumer, who let everyone know that her autistic son, BJ, although he’s 21 he enjoys going trick-or-treating and encouraged everyone to be nice to him and let him have fun on this holiday.
According to the Autism Society of America, the lack of routine that comes with Halloween can cause stress to autistic children. For this reason, they provide a list of tips that families with autistic children can follow in order to enjoy Halloween.
- Make plans in advance, including where you will go, what you will wear, who you will go with and when you will be back home.
- Make sure the costume of your child fits them like their normal clothing and have them try it on several times before Halloween.
- Consider throwing a Halloween party at home. Plan everything, from guests to decorations and food together with your child.
- In case you go for the house party, make sure you keep one room with no decorations at all, where your child can go and calm down in case they need to during the party.
Whatever you decide, make sure you enjoy this holiday with your loved ones and your beautiful children. If you don’t have an autistic child of your own, but have a kid holding a blue bucket ring your bell, make sure you embrace them with love, give them their candy and let them have a stress-free, happy holiday!
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