Tricks & Treats for a Successful Halloween

Halloween time should be fun! It’s also an awesome time to practice social communication opportunities! Before you start, understand where your child is on the Social Communication Bridge® in ALL environments and know the practical, yet critical, golden rules of S-CAT®:

Comfort precedes communication and progress does not occur groups; build comfort and DO strategies AWAY from group settings
Social engagement via Frontline™ and Handover/Takeover™ will benefit ALL children with Selective Mutism!
Demystification is critical; help your child acknowledge and assess
Asking and answering questions is important! (If you don’t ask, no chance to answer!)
Minimize the need to ‘think’ and process! Preplan, script, and facilitate!

Overhead view of a group of children at a front door taking sweets from a bowl at Halloween.

Halloween should be fun and silly for the whole family. Allow time for warm up, a child may cling to his/her parent in the beginning. Encourage children to be present and to take part at the level they are comfortable with according to the Bridge®. Prepare, prepare, prepare! Continue reading to learn how to make Halloween-based social communication activities easier for a child/teen with Selective Mutism, social anxiety, extreme shyness, or a related disorder.

In the Home Environment: Minimize Expectations!

Give your child a role in encounters to establish control and reduce anxiety
- Help pick out candy, prepare Halloween bags, decorate, be the door opener, hold candy bowl, or give candy out, play with scary or silly décor
Go over the routine in advance. PREPARE and roleplay!
- “Dress-rehearsal” for the doorbell ringing and giving out candy! Everyone should have a role and/or take turns!
COSTUME OPTIONAL!
- Some children love to dress up = Disguise! (Mask!) Other children feel uncomfortable. Don’t push the costume! Just support and provide a role! Parents dressing up can take pressure off of the child since attention on PARENT!
Dual costume with friend/sibling!
Buddy process! Tag teams! Handout candy together (Less expectation and eyes on child!)
Be fun and silly! Just have fun and practice without expectation
Level of communication is based on child’s highest level of communication where they do not feel stressed or anxiety! FEAR begets FEAR… This must be a pleasant and upbeat experience!
Think “engagement” = Handing out candy: Stage 0-1 engaging to nonverbal!
Practice greetings! It’s their home. They are the host = big shot role! o Stage 1 NV: Waving game (how many kids can you wave to?)
- Race to wave? NV initiation (Stage 1 b)
- Stage 2: Play a tape of Hi and Bye (Stage 2) or another message!
- Stage 3a: HI/BYE Copy Game! Person says “Hi” or “Bye”, child says “Hi” – verbal responding
- Stage 3b: Race to say “Hi” or “Bye” first – verbal initiation!
- Say greetings together ALL at once: “Thank you for coming!”
Big Five Bracelets are ideal for this!
Guess the questions that people can ask:
- “How are you?”
- “What are you for Halloween?”
- If not verbal, parents can bring child into the conversation via choice: “Are you Batman or Robin?” (Transitional Stage 2)

Children in Halloween costumes holding hands

While Outside of the Home:

Prepare child in advance: where are you going, what should you expect, who is going with you?
Prepare your child for Trick or Treating by practicing at home first: knowing what to expect reduces anxiety and allows for more confidence and control
Know where your child is on the Bridge to establish how the child participates in the actual trick-or-treating
Never PUSH to say ‘Trick or Treat’ or push to go up to a house if child is shut down

How to use the Bridge® and allow the child to participate:

Engage
- Frontline™– allow child to go up with a parent, sibling, or peer (allows for presence and engagement with support of parents, family, friends. (Pairing)
- Handover/Takeover™– child can hold out candy bag and allow it to be filled instead of taking the candy themselves. Or the child can hold out the bag while a parent, sibling, or peer picks out candy and puts it in the bag.
- Wave Hi or Bye
- Bring into Conversation- parent can ask child via direct choice questions- “Do you want the Hershey Bar or Milky Way?” Child can point, tell parent, or say their choice.

For Halloween Parties in or Outside of Home:

Educate others about Selective Mutism and your child. Use the “About My Child” worksheet
Arrive early
Give child a task or a role in social encounters. BIG SHOT/leadership role!
Bring child into conversations via choice: “Are you a Cinderella or Snow White?’
Do not direct the child to, “Tell Mrs. Smith what your costume is.”
Small group interaction is easier than larger group interaction
- Are you going out with a big or small group?
- Does your child know the children?
- Does your child know the adults present?
- Best case: Small group, familiar kids, and familiar adults!
Be aware of environment: Too scary? Too overwhelming?
If planning at home: stagger times people arrive so child can acclimate.
If at someone’s house: arrive early to check out décor ahead of time and warm up.
Hand items out and use silly props and costumes as icebreakers and as a way to bring the child into conversation

Two children dressed for Halloween with their arms around each others shoulders.

Approaching Costumes: A Huge Issue for Many Young Children

Costumes can be very scary for some children, especially seeing adults dress up!
Can be a great disguise for many kids! They can hide behind their costumes. May be a great first step towards engaging and communicating with others!
Practice dressing up (wigs, makeup, texture, etc.) Especially helpful for our Sensory Kids.
Talk about types of costumes a child will see. Scary, Silly, etc.
Look online at different costumes in advance to show scary types and funny ones.
Go out earlier if possible. There will be more light and less people which will allow for adjustment
Make a game out of how many scary costumes there are! Be on the look out! “Eye Spy” helps children think and hence they will shut down less.

Elisa Shipon-Blum DO2024-10-23T13:33:46-04:00October 19th, 2023|Comments Off

About the Author: Elisa Shipon-Blum DO

Elisa Shipon-Blum DO, is the President and Director of the Selective Mutism Anxiety and Related Disorders Treatment Center (SMart Center) located in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. She is the Founder and Director Emeritus of the Selective Mutism Association (SMA) and a Director of the Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI), a foundation established to study Dr. Shipon-Blum’s theories and treatment methodologies on Selective Mutism. In addition, Dr Shipon-Blum is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology & Family Medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is a board certified physician who specializes in Selective Mutism. Dr. Shipon-Blum practices in Jenkintown, PA, and has developed the evidenced-based Social Communication Anxiety Treatment (S-CAT)® from her years studying and researching individuals with Selective Mutism. She consults worldwide with families, treating professionals, and educators, and has helped thousands of children from around the world overcome Selective Mutism. Based on her successful S-CAT® program, Dr. E also created CommuniCamp™, an intensive group treatment program for children with Selective Mutism, social anxiety, and extreme shyness. Dr. Shipon-Blum lectures throughout the country on the topic of Selective Mutism, performs school evaluations and training for treating professionals, educators, and parents, and is considered one of the world’s leading experts in the treatment, research, and understanding of Selective Mutism. She has been a featured expert on national television programs such as 20/20, CNN, Inside Edition, and Good Morning America, as well as other local, national, and international television and radio broadcasts. In addition, she has been featured in TIME Magazine, People Magazine, and has interviewed with newspapers such as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, San Diego Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Palm Beach Post. Dr. Shipon-Blum is presently involved in multiple collaborative research projects with top researchers and clinicians. In addition to her research she has written numerous articles and books on Selective Mutism and anxiety including ‘Easing School Jitters for the Selectively Mute Child,’ ‘The Ideal Classroom Setting for the Selectively Mute Child,’ ‘Understanding Katie,’ ‘Supplement Treatment Guide Book to Understanding Katie‘, ‘Selective Mutism Summer Vacation & Back to School Guide‘ and ‘ Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety Disorder in School .’ She has also produced numerous DVDs on the topics of treatment and assessment of Selective Mutism, and the development of school accommodations and interventions for mute children. Dr. Shipon-Blum (or Dr. E as her patients refer to her) prides herself on being ‘down to earth’ and ‘easy to speak to’, and resides with her family in the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Notably, she is also the mother of a child, Sophie, who suffered from and overcame Selective Mutism and is the inspiration for the work she does each day.