I have come to realize that there is a controversy over whether to use a blue Halloween pumpkin bucket for Trick-or-Treating.
I always assumed that when someone saw a blue bucket, it would help that neighbor understand that the child was Autistic and may have a speech impairment.
There are some parents who get really upset that it is used because it singles out kids and doesn’t “include” them as normal.
NEWSFLASH.
Our children that have special needs aren’t like other kids.
They can’t handle loud noises, itchy costumes, the hand over hand walking down the street, the scary costumes and the overwhelming anxiety that follows after.
Some can’t say Trick-or-Treat because they can’t speak. Others uses a device to say it.
Would it be nice if we lived in a world that my child didn’t have to be judged because he can’t say the traditional sentence for the candy? Yes. But we don’t.
We just don’t live in that world yet. And we can’t expect everyone to know our kid is Autistic. Most people think when a child isn’t speaking and saying thank you they are either shy or rude.
I am all about advocating and educating, but sometimes I just want to put a sign on my child’s costume or have them use that dang blue bucket so I don’t have to explain it 50 times in 2 hours that my child isn’t a brat.
It’s a universal sign. Like the puzzle piece, or the infinity sign for Autism. We all know what it means.
If you want our children to feel included then hand them the dang bucket and put that sign or sticker on their outfit so momma doesn’t have to point out they’re Autistic to all the neighbors in front of their friends.
We pick our battles. And I for one will just use the blue bucket and try to focus my energy on avoiding the meltdown or helping them with other things than having to tell every neighbor why my child isn’t talking. We use the bucket or the sign, the neighbor then understands, we the eat the candy. The end.
Raising Different Disabilities 