10/29/2026
Halloween doesn't have to look a certain way. 🎃
Flashing lights, scratchy costumes, doorbells and crowds can make the night a lot for kids with sensory sensitivities. Pediatric experts at UAB shared a few ideas that can help:
1. Let your child help pick the costume, and try it on a few times before the big night. A favorite T-shirt or pajamas plus one Halloween accessory counts!
2. Preview the night with a visual schedule or social story: costume, a few houses, home.
3. Practice the route in daylight.
4. Pack familiar comfort tools, like headphones, sunglasses, fidgets or a favorite item.
5. Plan a quiet break spot and an exit plan, and let your child know they can stop anytime.
Two houses, headphones on, or a cozy movie night at home all count. As Dr. Michele Kong of UAB put it: "Follow the child, not the tradition. Halloween doesn't have to look a certain way."
To the families, clinicians and therapists who help kids enjoy days like this on their own terms: happy Halloween from all of us at Noteable!
Full article: UAB Heersink School of Medicine, "How to create a sensory-friendly Halloween experience" (Oct 22, 2026) https://na2.hubs.ly/H08BWC80