Embracing autism
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A mom’s Facebook post went viral after she detailed why her 3-year-old son with autism will be using a blue bucket while trick-or-treating this Halloween.
In the Oct. 13 post, which had more than 33,000 reactions and 127,000 shares as of Thursday morning, Omairis Taylor said her son, who is nonverbal, will use a blue bucket to signify to others that he has the condition. Last year, many of the houses that she took her son expected the boy to say “trick or treat” before giving him a piece of candy, forcing her to explain multiple times why he was unable to do so.
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“This year we will be trying the BLUE BUCKET to signify he has autism,” she wrote. “Please allow him (or anyone with a BLUE BUCKET) to enjoy this day.”
“This holiday is hard enough without any added stress. Thank you in advance,” she added.
Many people praised the idea as “great,” with one person writing the bucket is “one more tool to broaden the scope of understanding.”
“I am a parent of a child with autism. Together through creative ideas such as these, we can make a difference,” they added.
“I think this is awesome!” wrote another.
A blue bucket signifies a child may have autism. (iStock)
“I wish I would have thought of this when my son was younger, this is a great idea,” a third agreed.
This isn’t the first time a parent of a child who has autism has encouraged the use of blue buckets — not to be confused with teal-colored ones, which are used to raise food allergy awareness.
Last year, Autism Speaks, a non-profit autism advocacy organization, took to Facebook with a similar message, re-sharing one mom’s post about her 21-year-old son using a blue bucket on Halloween.
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“If you see someone who appears to be an adult dressed up to trick or treat this year carrying this blue bucket, he’s our son! His name is BJ & he is autistic. While he has the body of a 21-year-old, he loves Halloween. Please help us keep his spirit alive & happy,” the post reads. “So when you see the blue bucket share a piece of candy. Spread awareness! These precious people are not too big to trick or treat."
Autism Speaks also offers tips on how to make the spookiest day of the year fun for everyone — especially for those on the autism spectrum.
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