Halloween can be a really exciting time for children, from choosing their costumes to trick or treating and being rewarded with a bucket full of sweets. However, having two children who are diagnosed with autism, I know first-hand that Halloween can cause a lot of anxiety for children on the spectrum. To make trick or treating more inclusive for children with autism I have teamed up with friend and fellow mum of a child with autism, Lorna Higgins, to bring The Blue Bucket Campaign to Guernsey.
Trick or Treat Troubles
There can be many reasons why children with autism find Halloween hard. One of my girls dislikes the feel of many fabrics and finds most Halloween costumes itchy. As a result, before we even leave the house on Halloween she can be very emotional knowing she wants to wear a costume but finds it very uncomfortable to do so. Once we are out of the house the main worries start. She is nervous around strangers, so knocking on someone’s door and having to say ‘’Trick or Treat’’ to a stranger, then choose a sweet (choosing is very difficult when under pressure to be quick), then say ‘’thank you’’, whilst often having other children arriving at the same time shouting ‘’trick or treat’’ in very close proximity. This combination of things out of her comfort zone can raise her anxiety to such a level that, after visiting only a few houses, we often have to go home and it makes me sad that she misses out when it is something she looks forward to each year.
All children with autism are different so what causes anxiety for one child, won’t be the same for another. Some children are nonverbal so they can’t say ‘’trick or treat’’. For others Halloween can be very unpredictable, who knows if someone will open the door wearing a mask, whereas, for others, making eye contact is difficult so they can’t look you in the eye when saying ‘’trick or treat’’.
We feel very passionate about the fact that children with autism deserve the right to enjoy the childhood tradition of trick or treat just like everyone else and that’s why we are introducing The Blue Bucket Campaign to Guernsey.
The Blue Bucket Campaign
We have blue Halloween buckets to give away to children with autism (and suspected autism) for trick or treating. The blue buckets signify to the homeowner (or to shop keepers at the Town Trick or Treat event) that the child has autism (or suspected autism) and we ask that they respond with understanding and kindness. For example, the child might not be dressed up, they might not say ‘’trick or treat’’ so you can simply say something like ‘’Happy Halloween’’ rather than waiting for them to speak, they might not come to the door and someone else might get sweets for them or they might take a while choosing which sweet to take.
We hope the use of blue buckets will give children with autism a feeling of independence by providing a subtle, dignified way of informing people that the child at their door may not respond in the same was as other children but deserves the right to enjoy the night as much as anyone else.
The Blue Bucket Campaign has been made possible thanks to a generous donation from The Smile for Georgie Foundation which covered the cost of the buckets and to Shelley at Key Price who sourced the blue buckets for us.
Where did the use of blue Halloween buckets for children with Autism come from?
In 2018 a mum in America shared an image of a blue Halloween bucket on her Facebook page with the following message “If you see someone who appears to be an adult dressed up to trick-or-treat this year carrying this blue bucket, he’s our son! His name is BJ & he is autistic. While he has the body of a 21-year old, he loves Halloween,”
“Please help us keep his spirit alive & happy. So when you see the blue bucket share a piece of candy. Spread awareness! These precious people are not “too big” to trick or treat,”
Her Facebook post received a lot of attention and the blue bucket trend spread amongst the autism community in the USA and the UK. A few years ago, we were in the UK for Halloween and a friend gave both of my girls a blue Halloween bucket and I found it made the experience more enjoyable for all of us as people giving out sweets were definitely very considerate towards my daughters and it made a big difference. When we got back to Guernsey I was keen to bring blue Halloween buckets here and I am so pleased we have managed to do it this year.
How to get hold of a Blue Halloween Bucket
For parents and carers of children with autism (or suspected autism) please visit the Autism & Me Facebook group for more details about The Blue Bucket Campaign or alternatively…
Email me directly at antonia@guernseywithkids.com to request your child’s blue Halloween bucket.
Autism & Me Guernsey
I set up the Facebook group Autism & Me Guernsey with friend and fellow mum of a child with autism, Lorna Higgins, as a place for parents of children with autism, or suspected autism, to come together and chat to people in a similar situation. The group has over 250 members and if you have a child with autism and would like to join please CLICK HERE.
