Families with autistic children enjoy 'calm' Halloween party in Sunnyvale
SUNNYVALE -- On Halloween night, kids of all ages will be hitting the streets, looking for thrills, chills and, of course, a lot of candy. But, for children with autism, all the excitement can be too much so, on Sunday, autism families got a chance to celebrate in a much calmer setting.
Loud noises and flashing lights may be fun for many but sensations are magnified by autism, making it downright terrifying for some.
"Autism families can have a very hard time on Halloween," said Jill Escher, a board member of the S.F. Autism Society. She should know, her 16-year-old daughter Sophie is autistic.
"I used to take Sophie trick-or-treating when she was little and she wasn't able to say 'trick or treat' and someone would say, 'Oh, you've got to say trick or treat.' I'm like, 'umm...she can't,'" Escher said.
On Sunday, the San Francisco Autism Society threw their annual Halloween party, this time at Smile Farm in Sunnyvale. Families with autistic kids got a chance to get close to some friendly farm animals in a calm and comfortable atmosphere.
"Autism families find a lot of comfort being together where they know nobody's looking at them funny, nobody's judging them, everybody knows what's up with their kid and they don't have to try to pretend to be something they aren't." Escher explained.
Twelve-year-old Jaden Chan was there with his parents and little brother Kian. Jaden is bothered by loud sounds and wears headphones to try to stay calm.
"Even with headphones, if it's a busy area, he'll even cover his head and it'll just be too much for the headphones," said his mother Jocelin. "So, this is really nice and comfortable for him."
Autism's numbers are on the rise and, for a few hours on Sunday morning, Chuck E. Cheese restaurants in the Bay Area also hosted quiet, darkened events for kids with the disorder.
A recent CDC study of San Diego County found that up to four percent of children had an autism diagnosis but the rise in cases may simply be because the public and the medical community are doing a better job of recognizing it.
As understanding of the disorder grows, families hope there will be even more opportunities for their autistic kids to enjoy holidays, even if they can't handle loud sounds and bright lights.
"Just so we can have access to some events," Jocelin said. "Whereas, the busier places, we can't really go to or Jaden just wouldn't enjoy it because it's so busy or so loud or too many people."
The Autism Society has sponsored holiday gatherings for many years and Sunday's party included pumpkin painting, lunch and a costume contest.
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