CONCORD, N.C. – Soon vampires, witches and superheroes will be roaming the streets collecting candy as they trick-or-treat. Not everyone, however, will be saying the famous phrase.
What You Need To Know
- On Halloween, if a person is carrying a blue pumpkin, it symbolizes they have autism or are non-verbal
- According to Autism Speaks, 40% of people with autism are non-verbal, and this can make participating in Halloween more of a challenge
- The Blue family has a non-verbal son, and they are encouraging autism awareness with the Blue Pumpkin Project ahead of the popular holiday
Princeton Blue has autism and is non-verbal. The 4-year-old’s parents, Prince and Tyeekia, said Princeton was diagnosed last year.
“I cried uncontrollably,” Tyeekia Blue said. “There was no consoling me.”
Halloween is a challenge because Princeton Blue can’t shout “trick-or-treat” with his siblings. The Blue family is carrying a blue pumpkin while they walk the neighborhood to represent autism awareness.
“Sometimes people will say ‘say trick-or-treat’ before they give you candy. And they may not understand, he looks like a normal developing child, but he’s not able to say trick-or-treat,” Tyeekia Blue said.
The Blue Pumpkin Project started in 2018 after a Facebook post went viral encouraging people to be patient with kids and teens with autism on Halloween.
Some parents who have children with autism believe their child shouldn’t have to walk around with a special bag to enjoy Halloween. Prince Blue said it helps raise awareness so neighbors can be more considerate.
“I can’t get upset at somebody if they say something and they don’t know,” he said. “If they’re like, ‘Well you’re not getting any candy unless you say trick-or-treat,’ I can’t get upset at that person because they don’t understand that my child is non-verbal.”
Autism Speaks has some reminders for people at home passing out treats. The group said people should consider having a non-food option for children with allergies or special diets, and they ask everyone to be patient in the event that it takes some children a minute or two to shout "trick-or-treat."