Countdown calendars and visual schedules can help children understand when Halloween is coming and what to expect each day leading up to it. Marking off days on a calendar or using pictures to show the steps before the big night helps make time more concrete and predictable. This approach can reduce anxiety, build excitement, and give children a sense of control and anticipation as they prepare for Halloween.
Boo-tiful moments: Helping Kids with Autism Understand Halloween
The Spark Learning Blog • Posted by Alix Naginski, MSc, RBT on October 7, 2025
Helping Kids with Autism Enjoy the Spooky Season
Halloween is a magical time for children, a night filled with creative costumes, decorations, candy and trick-or-treating with friends. For many children with autism or other developmental disabilities, however, it can also be a time of sensory overload, social stress and unexpected challenges. At Spark, we understand that every child experiences Halloween differently. We’re here to help you make this special day feel safe, enjoyable, and tailored to your child. With planning and flexibility, there are many ways to approach costumes, decorating, and Trick-or-Treating to prepare your child for the surprises that come on this spooky holiday.
Social Stories: A Great Way to Teach About Halloween
One fun and personalized technique you can use to help explain Halloween and its features is creating a social story. A social story is a simple, personalized story that uses clear language and visuals to explain social situations or upcoming events. It helps children understand what to expect, how to respond, and feel more comfortable in new or unfamiliar settings.
Some key features you may want to include are:
- Why do we celebrate Halloween?
- How do we celebrate it?
- Decorations they may see
- How do we trick or treat?
You can include pictures of your street, your child, their costume, and the candy they may get! Make it fun, simple and personalized. These personal aspects are key as it makes the story more interesting and relatable for your child (Chen et al., 2020). Moreover, reading the story with your child several times before the big day will give your child time to absorb the information and feel more prepared for Halloween.
Helping Kids Anticipate Halloween with Visual Supports
- Pair social stories and visual supports with role-plays and repeated practice!
- For children who may struggle with sudden changes, show them where decorations will go before putting them up, and include them in the process!
- Do a Halloween Walk through! Together, walk through your home and point out decorations, turning the abstract into something concrete. You could even make it a game by turning it into a scavenger hunt!
Halloween doesn’t have to be overwhelming – with preparation, practice and flexibility, every child can participate in a way that works best for them.
Resources
- Chen, T., Yang, W., Wang, Q., Zhang, Y., & Ma, Z. (2020). Effects of social stories intervention for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine, 99(37), e22018. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000022018
- Kyriacou, C., Forrester-Jones, R., & Triantafyllopoulou, P. (2023). Clothes, Sensory Experiences and Autism: Is Wearing the Right Fabric Important?. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 53(4), 1495–1508. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05140-3
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