7 Sensory Friendly Halloween Hacks from Sensational Neurodiverse Families

Trick-or-treating is a beloved tradition, but Halloween can be tricky for atypical kids. These parents are making spooky season a little sweeter.

Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash

Until trick-or-treating gets more inclusive, parents in this community are sharing their strategies for getting through spooky season with slightly fewer sensory meltdowns.

Parents, please share your suggestions to help other neurodiverse families prepare for Halloween, and navigate the day, without losing our heads.

Read what other parents have said below, and share yours in the comments:

Halloween social communication can be draining and overwhelming for our kids (speaking or non-speaking), even though it is scripted (“Trick-or-treat… Thank you.”). When my son was little, I rehearsed the routine with him until he had it down. When it came to the main event, he was so overstimulated by all the people, sights, sounds, and especially tastes, that he would forget to say thank you. Plenty of the other kids didn’t say thank you either, and now I wish I had been more chill about it.

He still had a blast, but oh the rigidity… mine as well as his. When I got h…