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Mom Gives Her Son a Blue Trick-Or-Treat Candy Bucket to Help Raise Awareness of Autism

By Emma Taggart on October 23, 2019

Stock Photos from FamVeld/Shutterstock

Halloween is just around the corner, which means many kids are counting down the days until they can go trick-or-treating. While most children will enjoy the spooky festivities without a hitch, kids with autism and other disabilities can struggle with joining in the fun. However, that doesn’t mean they should miss out, which is why moms like Omairis Taylor are spreading awareness of initiatives that can help.

In a recent post on Facebook, Taylor shared that she will use a blue Halloween candy bucket when she goes out trick-or-treating with her 3-year-old son this year. She explains that he has autism and is nonverbal, which means that he can’t shout out “trick or treat” while going door-to-door. “Last year houses will wait for him to say TRICK OR TREAT in order for him to get a piece of candy and there I go explaining the situation for the next 5 blocks,” reveals Taylor. “This year we will be trying the BLUE BUCKET to signify he has autism.”

This isn’t the first time parents used an alternative to the classic orange pumpkin when trick-or-treating. The Teal Pumpkin Project was initiated a few years ago to welcome trick-or-treaters with allergies. Along with the teal-blue candy bucket for kids, people placed the same-colored pumpkins outside of their homes to show they have treat options for trick-or-treaters with allergies.

The blue buckets help people be aware that there are kids with varying conditions, and that we should do our best to make sure everyone can enjoy Halloween. “Please allow him (or anyone with a BLUE BUCKET) to enjoy this day and don't worry I'll still say TRICK OR TREAT for him, I’ll get my mom candy tax later,” says Taylor. “This holiday is hard enough without any added stress.”