Autism kids fitting in one blue pumpkin at a time

Some kids with Autism have a hard time fitting in during a time that is supposed to be all about the children, but The Blue Pumpkin Initiative is changing that.

Asher is a boy in Yuma who was diagnosed with Autism at the age of three. His first years celebrating Halloween weren’t easy for his parents because they always had to go door to door and explain to people that Asher couldn’t say trick-or-treat because he was non-verbal. Luckily the blue pumpkin initiative came around.

The blue pumpkin initiative says if your child has a blue pumpkin when trick-or-treating that they have Autism or are non-verbal and may not say trick-or-treat like many of the other kids do. With this parents hope that those handing out candy are more sensitive to their child not saying the famous words everyone expects when children are going door to door.

Although the initiative is considered to be unofficial, parents in Yuma have begun to adopt the blue pumpkin into their Halloween rituals.

Being non-verbal is common in kids with Autism. The blue pumpkin helps these kids get through the holiday smoothly without being singled out.

Another initiative making its way around is the teal pumpkin initiative which is set to benefit kids with food allergies. A person who has a teal pumpkin on their porch is signifying that they have treat options that aren’t food.