For most people, Halloween is all about dressing up, carving pumpkins, and indulging in sweet treats. For others, especially those with specific needs —such as those living with dementia, hearing loss, or people with autism— Halloween can be more stressful than fun. People with additional needs may find themselves being left out of celebrations around this time of year. On top of the situations of exclusion they might already experience in their daily lives, this can lead them to feel very isolated. If you’re spending time with people with specific needs, here are 12 considerations to make this Halloween fun for everyone and make all feel included.
Dementia-friendly halloween
- Halloween is typically quite noisy. Scary costumes, fireworks and strangers are all relatively unfamiliar and can be potentially stress-inducing for someone with dementia. Address this by playing relaxing music, engaging in quiet activities such as reading, and providing verbal reassurance.
- Unless the person knocking is someone you know, avoid inviting trick-or-treaters into your home. The constant in and out of strangers in costumes can create disorientation for the person and could pose a potential safety risk. To avoid this, you can place a polite sign outside your house requesting no trick-or-treaters.
- Use fruit and other healthy snacks instead of sweets or chocolate. Too much sugar intake could lead to agitation.
- Don’t put up interactive, loud, or flashing electronic decorations at home, as this can cause confusion and distress. Similarly, decorations that scare passers-by may be distressing for someone living with dementia who won’t expect a fright, so they may be best to avoid. Even non-interactive skeletons, monsters, tombstones or cobwebs could potentially have a similar effect. Instead, put up comforting decorations such as pumpkins or autumn leaves.
Autism-friendly halloween
- Many autistic people struggle with unexpected events, so plan events in advance and include them. Autism is a spectrum, so every autistic person’s preferences, sensitivities and needs will be different. Including them when planning ahead will give you an idea of this and ample time to make adjustments.
- Trick-or-treating may not be for everyone, so indoor activities such as pumpkin carving, listening to soothing music, or watching a film may be more suitable.
- If the person is sensitive to a constantly ringing doorbell, a sign outside your house requesting no trick-or-treaters can be useful here as well. A noise check is also good practice and can make the person feel seen.
- Don’t pressure them to go trick-or-treating. The unfamiliarity of walking house-to-house in the dark can be overwhelming. If the person still wants to go outdoors, consider visiting a pumpkin patch. Some community centres may also offer Halloween events.
Hearing loss-friendly halloween
- For someone with hearing loss, their other senses —especially sight— are even more important. For this reason, their surroundings must be visible —lighting is key! If the person decides that they want to go trick-or-treating at night, flashlights and reflective clothing can make others more visible in the dark.
- Similarly, creating a “trick or treat” sign for you or your child to hold may come in handy for visual communication.
- Costume choice is also important. If you or those around you decide to dress up, easily removable masks or those that don’t obstruct the face can be useful to those who rely on lip reading. Similarly, adjust costumes that obstruct hearing aids or cochlear implants.
- If you’re hosting a party, ensure that there is enough lighting for people to see one another when having conversations.
Making THIS HALLOWEEN FUN FOR EVERYONE
Knowing how to recognise and accommodate the needs of those living with a different experience to yours is invaluable – making someone feel seen and understood can make a big difference. There’s always so much more to learn about autism, dementia and hearing loss. You can visit our blog page, or sites like Alzheimer’s Society and National Autistic Society for more resources.