Why I Made a Custom Trick-or-Treat Bag for My Son Who Is Nonverbal
“Say trick-or-treat.” For most kids, it’s no big deal to say the magic words, take their candy and move on to the next house for more loot. For my nonverbal son with autism, the words “trick-or-treat” just aren’t that simple.
After many years of watching my son Nicholas silently waiting for his Halloween treat without the ability to say the golden phrase, I decided to create a solution.
This week, I designed a custom trick-or-treat bag for my son, which will hopefully make it easier for people to understand that he is as excited about Halloween candy as any other kid, but he simply does not have the words. The bag reads:
Trick-or-Treat
I Can’t Speak
But I Sure Do Love
Halloween Treats
In the last couple of days, I seem to have drawn quite a bit of excitement with this idea. I honestly had no idea this trick-or-treat bag concept would have drawn so much attention. With just a few days before Halloween, I don’t have time to mass-produce any more of them, but I will definitely consider the idea for next year. Please let me know if you make a bag like this for your child who struggles with speech, and if it helps them enjoy trick-or-treating this year!
Melissa is a blogger and full-time single mother to an amazing ten year old boy with autism. In her “spare time,” she advocates for autism understanding and awareness in her Silicon Valley community. Her blog can be found at www.mamabearthoughts.com.
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