Here’s why: 1. I’m teaching my kids that they’re worthy of respect no matter what. The blue pumpkin is a way to subtly indicate that a child is on the autism spectrum and may react differently to situations that arise while trick-or-treating. Some children are simply shy and will just stand there. I don’t look at this as lableing who he is and it definitely doesn’t define who he is. Blue pumpkins — which are a separate initiative from the Teal Pumpkin Project — aim to raise awareness for kids on the autism spectrum who may … Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. "Obviously, when you’re going door to door you want your child to be polite, but when they’re not very verbal or, in some cases not verbal at all, they can be. Blue pumpkin candy buckets are meant to raise awareness that a child or teenager may have autism, and in some cases they may be nonverbal, so they may not be able to say the traditional “trick or treat” Halloween line. A lot of children are shy and a lot of parents know that. There’s a new idea going around this October. He doesn’t eat candy, except for skittles and lollipop, so it was a complete waste of a good basket of candy lol. Claim: Using a blue bucket at Halloween indicates that a person has autism. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Our struggles and … Lots of anger in this post. as someone with autism I applaud you for reason 3 I hate having to explain why I flap my hands or rock back and forth but can write an essay normally. Some children are shy.If they come to your door just give them candy. The Teal Pumpkin Project was started in 2014 by the nonprofit Food Allergy Research & Education to raise awareness of food allergens on a night when it can be tricky for kids with food allergies to participate. So I allowed them to enjoy it. Everyone knows the longstanding tradition at Halloween that a house with a porch light on means kind souls with a big bowl of candy ready to rejoice in the sweet voices of children calling “trick or treat!”. Mean old Mary down the street doesn’t really care about my kid’s issues. The National Autism Association supports it, and on its website, parents can download cards to hand out that say, “Having autism can sometimes make it difficult to speak. What's the problem with the Blue Pumpkin? Because everyone deserves candy on Halloween. ( Log Out /  I’m the one in charge of protecting my children. They aren’t calling the school board about inclusive practices. and last updated 2019-10-31 12:48:57-04. They probably don’t even know that the blue pumpkin is a “thing,” and they couldn’t care less. Pro tip: This is why you give out the Smarties first, saving the good stuff for last. Basically if you are handing out candy and see someone with a blue pumpkin bucket, they may have autism or they are an advocate of someone else with autism. - 15 Year Old With Autism Learning To Ride Her Bike Viral blue pumpkin post draws mixed reactions from autism community A social media post suggested parents switch out orange pumpkin pails for blue ones to … You can even buy signs online that say, “Trick or Trinket.”, (I’m giving out small containers of Play-Doh this year. Blue, by the way, is the color used for World Autism Awareness Day in April. Trick or treating can be a fun experience for some children, but not necessarily for those who have autism and trouble communicating. Some parents want to spread awareness of autism by turning their pumpkins blue, or having blue plastic pumpkin containers. ( Log Out /  God bless. The idea is it signifies a person trick … Great mum!!! “But pumpkins are orange.” Of course pumpkins … “It’s a stressful interaction," he said. I can’t be certain that every person in the neighborhood knows what the blue pumpkin signifies. I too, tried to take my kids only to places we were familiar. A blue Halloween bucket has become an unofficial symbol of awareness for autism. She said she would say it for him. Their emotional health is my top priority. However, I do feel like the blue pumpkin could be a learning situation for all kids and adults, as well. I love you!!! They are indicating that ALL people with blue pumpkins are autistic. She also added a "P.S." 2. I can assure you, most people won’t have a clue. Spread awareness! We might even knock on a few of our neighbor’s doors – But only the ones who know us personally. Plumer’s son is 21-years-old, has autism and loves Halloween. Shutterstock.com As you may have heard, there’s an idea circulating among moms and dads encouragingparents of autistic kids to give their children blue … If a child comes to your door holding a blue pumpkin, and not an orange one, it may mean the child has autism and is unable to speak. Please accept this as a thank you for the yummy treat.”, BLAND:Why I hand out candy and treats to everyone who shows up on Halloween. Instead of thinking of it as labeling, id prefer to think of it as raising awareness like colors used to represent other causes. You’re welcome, mom and dad.). There are several different bucket colors out there and they all represent something different: a teal one for food allergies and a purple one for epilepsy. They don’t need to wear a label or a sticker. “Please help us keep his spirit alive and happy. Which is why it's also a longstanding tradition and perfectly acceptable for you to switch off the porch light at 9 p.m., call it a night and consume all the leftover candy. I completely agree with you. Actually, a year ago, Alicia Plumer, another mother created the idea of the blue pumpkin to advocate for her adult son with autism, B.J. Everyone knows them there! I guess I’m only writing this because I feel so strongly about broadening his world at any and all cost. As a father of a mostly Non vebal Autistic child I am always looking for ways to break more into his world and draw him a little more out of his. “These precious people are not too big to trick-or-treat.” Plumer wrote in the post. ( Log Out /  Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @KarinaBland. The blue pumpkin bucket is also supposed to signify to people that a person who might appear to be over the acceptable age of trick-or-treaters might have a disability. Why call attention to your child’s specific reason? Blue Halloween buckets are a subtle way to indicate that the child going trick-or-treating has autism. Vicky . Taylor shared a photo of a traditional pumpkin-shaped Halloween candy bucket that was a bright electric blue. Though every child that carries a blue pumpkin may not have autism, families want you to be aware that some might. Thanks for sharing though. By: WEWS Staff Posted at 9:52 AM, Oct 31, 2019 . Reach Bland at karina.bland@arizonarepublic.com. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Mixed views from autism community about blue pumpkin post. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. While it isn’t my job to bring people up to speed with where he is at and all the reasons why he is the way he is I’d rather open doors and extend a hand than close them and never reach out.