WORCESTER, Mass. - Halloween is filled with ghouls, goblins and plenty of candy, but the thrill of it all can be too much for some trick-or-treaters.  

“Halloween is definitely a time where it puts a lot of kids and some adults, like myself, in a state of being overwhelmed,” Kristen Pompey said. 

Pompey, a speech pathologist, said the bright lights, loud noises and crowds of strangers may not work for everyone. Some kids can’t eat candy, other use a wheelchair or walker and some find it hard to talk.

“One house we had went to was like, 'oh, I didn’t know bears use iPads now',” Ashley Carota said. “I said well, this isn’t an iPad, this is how he communicates to you."

Carota’s 7-year-old son Luca has autism. She said he loves the spooky holiday and seeing all the fun costumes.

“Last year he was six, so it was probably the best Halloween ever,” Carota said. “He was so excited to go up to people’s houses and smile and see all the costumes, it was great.”

Amanda Jensen-Wheat shares a similar experience. Her son Theo has autism and ADHD.

“We go earlier in the evening so it’s still kind of light out and there’s not a ton of people around to scare him,” Jensen-Wheat said.

Both moms said they spend a majority of October preparing their trick-or-treater by practicing. For parents navigating Halloween for the first time with their child, Carota and Jensen-Wheat said to take it slow and stick to what you know.  

“Definitely go. Don’t be scared. Take your parents. My and my husband will see if the grandparents want to go,” Carota said. 

“I just try to advocate for my kid. I say, he’s a little scared to say that right now. I’ll say Happy Halloween for him and that he appreciates the candy,” Jensen-Wheat said. 

To make sure everyone has a safe and fun Halloween, Pompey said homeowners should be mindful of where they place the candy bowl, requiring kids to say ‘trick-or-treat’ and to warn about decorations with jump scares or flashing lights.

“These are small things that can make a really big impact. Even putting one sign out, that will help at least one kid. That’s worth it,” Pompey said.