Preparing for Halloween
Published Date: 24 Oct 2024Whether you’re a fan of spooky folklore, haunted houses, or you’re just in it for the sweets… that time of year is among us! Halloween. It’s the time of year for children (or adults!) to embrace the magic of costumes and have some fun!
It’s also a time of year that requires additional planning as a parent of a deaf child who wears cochlear implants. With a little creativity and a lot of planning, I think (and hope!) I might of just cracked it for George to have a memorable experience this year.
1. The costume
George currently wears his bilateral cochlear implants on Koala clips attached to the shoulders of his clothing. The long 25cm cable then connects to the coil/magnet on his head.
George is very reluctant to wear any headwear, so I’ve been on a mission to find the right costume for him. There were so many fantastic costumes such as Dracula and Frankenstein, but none of them would be entirely comfortable for him. The high neck on Dracula’s costume would irritate him and also likely knock his cables constantly. The Frankenstein costume came with a full-face mask which I have no chance of getting him to wear! So, not one to overthink it… he’s going as a skeleton this year!
I have no doubts as he gets older, he will become more adventurous and want to pick his own costumes, which I’ll fully support and will do what I can to make those costumes work with his hearing devices.
2. Lighting
Typically you go trick-or-treating as it gets dark, which means visibility isn’t great for George to see faces or hands for communication. I’ve bought myself a torch and some glow sticks for George which should also make it more fun for him.
On our estate, a lot of the houses have porch lights, so I’m hopeful that lighting won’t be a huge issue when we’re at our neighbours' doors.
3. Go in a group
Other than the safety aspect of going as a group, I feel this is better for George socially. If he sees other children knocking at doors and trick-or-treating, then he is more likely to want to copy and participate. If he has peers around him who already know how to communicate with him, then it should also make the whole experience more inclusive for him.
4. Decorate his 'ears'!
We absolutely love getting cochlear implant stickers from Hearoes [Heroes website], and they’ve recently released their Halloween collection. George will definitely look the part with his ghost stickers, and I’m sure they’ll attract some attention over the Halloween period and open conversations, as they always do.
5. Communication cues
I designed a Halloween trick-or-treating tote bag for our online shop, Hear For George [Etsy website], which states, “Hi, my name is George and I am deaf. I use sign language and I can teach you how to sign 'trick or treat'. Please be patient with me.”
I’m hoping this will be a great tool for him over the years to show neighbours when he knocks at their door and give him some confidence that he can communicate with them and people will be understanding and patient. It’s also a great opportunity to raise awareness and may be another way to open conversations about George’s deafness, sign language and even his cochlear implants!
Most importantly, Halloween is a chance for children to be creative and enjoy the festivities – so if we can make this a little easier for our deaf children with some of these tips, then why not!