October Newsletter
HOT TOPIC - HALLOWEEN PREP
Helping Kids Feel Comfortable, Confident & Ready for Halloween
Halloween is full of fun, but costumes, crowds, unfamiliar decorations, loud noises, and changes in routine can be challenging for some children. A little preparation can help make the experience more comfortable and enjoyable for the whole family.
Practice Before the Big Night
Try on costumes ahead of time and practice walking, sitting, and using the bathroom while wearing them. You can also rehearse knocking on a door, saying “trick-or-treat,” accepting candy, and saying “thank you.” Knowing what to expect can help reduce anxiety and make the big night feel more comfortable.
Throughout October, our SkyBreak therapists are happy to help kids practice trick-or-treating skills during their therapy sessions! With our office doors decorated for Halloween, kids can practice knocking, saying “trick-or-treat,” accepting a treat, and saying “thank you” in a fun, supportive environment before the big night.
Choose Sensory-Friendly Costumes
Scratchy fabric, masks, face paint, tags, or tight accessories can quickly become uncomfortable. Let your child help choose a costume and consider wearing familiar, comfortable clothing underneath. Remember-a costume doesn’t have to be elaborate to be fun!
Prepare for Sensory Overload
Flashing lights, spooky sounds, crowds, and unexpected scares can be a lot to process. Consider trick-or-treating earlier when it’s quieter, bringing headphones or another calming item, and taking breaks when needed.
Build in Choices
Give your child some control over the experience. They might choose which houses to visit, whether to wear a mask, or when they’re ready to head home. Participating can look different for every child.
Halloween doesn’t have to look a certain way to be successful. If your child skips the costume, doesn’t say “trick-or-treat,” only visits a few houses, or prefers handing out candy at home, that’s okay! Focus on helping them participate in a way that feels safe, comfortable, and fun.
A little preparation can turn Halloween into an opportunity to practice independence, communication, self-regulation, and confidence, all while having some spooky fun!
MOVEMENT MATTERS - PT PRO TIPS
Spooktacular Ways to Get Moving
By: Hannah Eckhardt, Physical Therapist Assistant
If you are looking to support your kids' gross motor development, here are a few fun, Halloween/Autumnal themed activities that help incorporate movement, mobility, and physical participation.
- Frankenstein/Zombie/Werewolf Walks: Have your child hold their arms straight out and take big, wide steps in a diagonal pattern. This may feel silly, but its is a great way to address balance and gait concerns. To be a "werewolf", encourage your child to walk on all fours for upper body and core strength. Encourage imagination, and even incorporate this into games like "Red Light Green Light", or "Simon Says". A good way to make these more challenging is to say "Slow motion!" which with challenge you child's body control and listening skills.
- Pumpkin Deadlifts: Use small or medium pumpkins instead of weights. Lift the pumpkin safely from the floor to build lower body and core strength.
- Haunted House Obstacle Course: Set up a path that requires crawling under objects, ducking, squatting, and making sharp turns to practice dynamic balance.
- Monster Print Trail: Place cutout monster footprints on the floor (placed with tape on smooth surfaces) to guide children through stepping and jumping sequences such as hopscotch for lower body coordination.
- Raking Leaves: Include your child in this common fall chore, disguised as a fun activity. Simply giving your child time and space to help you rake up a big pile of leaves, and letting them jump in can address functional global strengthening. Additionally, see if your child can try making a snow angel in the leaves for bonus coordination training!
EVERYDAY OT
Trick-or-Treat Like a Pro
By: Hope Fredregill, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
Halloween is a great opportunity to practice many functional skills in a fun seasonal way!
Prior to trick-or-treating in a neighborhood or at a trunk-or-treat event (join us at the Meridian City trunk-or-treat event October 22), here are some skills to practice prior to getting out there.
- Practice saying “trick or treat” and “thank you” in role-play situations
- Practice waiting in line and approaching cars or doors
- With much younger kids, practice walking and holding a candy bucket without spilling
- Role-play deciding how much candy to take when given a choice, is it appropriate to take a handful or just one?
- Practice walking up and down stairs and navigating uneven surfaces
Halloween also provides a fun way to work on dressing skills in an out of the ordinary way using costumes. This can provide practice with:
- Zipping
- Buttoning
- Snapping
- Putting on gloves
- Managing masks
- Putting on and taking off hats
- Putting on other costume accessories
- Carrying costume props and demonstrating safety and body awareness
For children with sensory sensitivities, Halloween provides a unique opportunity to experience and practice coping skills for unusual situations.
Speech Therapy Corner
Boo-tiful Communication: Halloween with AAC
By: Hayley Keller, Speech Language Pathologist
October is AAC Awareness Month, and with Halloween right around the corner, it’s a great time to help AAC users prepare for all the fun!
Before Halloween, consider creating a special Halloween folder or page in your child’s AAC app (LAMP, Proloquo2Go, TD Snap, TouchChat, etc.). Include helpful core and seasonal vocabulary such as Halloween, candy, trick or treat, costume, more, all done, please, thank you, want, open, give, and help.
Give your child time to become familiar with the new vocabulary and practice navigating the page before Halloween. You can even role-play trick-or-treating at home in a comfortable, low-pressure environment or practice at a smaller community event.
Looking for a place to practice? Come see us! SkyBreak Therapy will be participating in the Meridian City Trunk or Treat on Thursday, October 22, from 6–9 PM at Meridian City Hall. Stop by our trunk, say hello, and enjoy some Halloween fun!
On Halloween night, allow plenty of processing time and support communication by modeling words on your child’s device without expecting them to immediately respond or imitate you. If you don’t have access to a high-tech AAC device, free printable Halloween core boards can also be found online.
Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the experience together!
Meet The Team
Meet Christine
Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
hristine brings several years of occupational therapy experience to SkyBreak Therapy, with a special passion for feeding therapy. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science and an Associate’s Degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant and is trained in the SOS Approach to Feeding and Beckman Oral Motor.
Christine’s love for OT began at a young age when she helped her grandmother adapt to daily life after losing her vision. That experience showed her how meaningful it can be to help someone gain independence and participate in the things they love.
At SkyBreak, Christine loves helping kids recognize their differences as strengths and accomplish things they once thought were out of reach. She gives children choices and a voice in their therapy while bringing plenty of fun, humor, and play into each session.
Outside of work, Christine enjoys camping, hiking with her dogs, and trying new restaurants. Fun fact: She has gone cage diving with great white sharks in South Africa!
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