For his first Halloween Party, I had him dressed up as a cowboy. The little dumpling was 14 months. He had a Cowboy Party for his first birthday, and I just recycled that look so he can go for Halloween.
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| Couldn't find the Halloween photo. This picture was from his Cowboy Party. |
The top and vest were custom made for him. He had his regular pants on with snaps on the crotch for easy nappy access. The straw hat was a divisoria find. It's just a regular hat that I pimped a little to make it look more cowboy-ish. I sewed in a silk necktie underneath so that the straw won't scratch him. I also added elastic straps that go under his chin to make sure it won't fall off. Back then we didn't know about his autism. The thing we considered the most about picking a costume for him is comfort.
However, since finding out about his ASD, it sort of upped the challenge of making Halloween an enjoyable event for my son. These kinds of parties is a surefire recipe for a sensory overload for kids like Adam -- costumes, scary faces, too many strangers, loud noises. It seems an impossible task to get through the day without fits or tantrums. Case in point.
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| Halloween 2009 |
You could barely see it from the mirror's reflection but a baby dressed as a tiyanak walked in. Minutes before that, a Kampanerong Kuba walked by. Halloween wasn't enjoyable at all. He was too heavy for me to carry all day. He was cranky and crying. He was weary from the scratchy fabric of this ridiculously overpriced vampire costume. He kept tripping on his cape. He choked and toggled at the ties around his neck. What's more, a whole army of vampires were wearing the exact same costume! AGGGHH! At this time he just turned 2, we were starting to notice that he is not developing any new words or language skills like most kids his age, but apart from doing our own research regarding normal developmental behaviour, we didn't take any steps to figuring it out until about 4 months later.
When we found our about Adam's ASD, and following the tantrum incident he had last year, we were really considering if we'd let him join next year's Halloween Party. At this time, we've already been consulting with our developmental pediatrician. The little dumpling was also enrolled in a preschool that caters to SPED and non-SPED kids. He has also been seeing a speech therapist regularly for a couple of months.
I took the time to plan everything to make sure that Adam will tolerate and maybe even enjoy Halloween. I went with a costume that is comfortable and loose-fitting, so that it would be the least of his worries. Scrub suits! It's pretty much like his pajamas. I shod him in socks and crocs and an OR cap, made him a "medic" bag, and my little surgeon is ready for trick or treat!
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| Halloween 2010 |
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| The morning after. Happy kid |
That Halloween had its share of bumps and "bites" and "kicks". A lot of moms rolled their eyes at me, I get it. It's okay. It was still a yay moment for me. We got through it. Adam had a lot of fun. We got a lot of candy. My dumpling even won 2nd Best in Costume! Double Yay!
Since then I've learned to listen and open my eyes more to the things that he likes, the things that put a smile to his face, and to tap into them just to make sure that he enjoys his costumes and parties. He is sooo not good in using words to express himself. He is also not good at big parties or loud places. But in all essence, he is still a kid and I want him to experience life and what being a kid is like. Even if it means volunteering myself as the "DANCING MOMMY" during BRING ME games just so he could also get a prize, I'm all for it. I just love him.
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