SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – While multi-colored Christmas lights have been commonplace for decades, it wasn’t always the case for multi-colored pumpkins.
With more than 33 million Americans having life-threatening food allergies, according to the non-profit Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), and one in every 36 children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making Halloween accessible for everyone is a goal Spartanburg mother Amanda Bishop wants to achieve.
“For me, the blue pumpkin is not asking people to make an accommodation for my child, it’s just to greet them with a smile like any other kid,” said Bishop.
Bishop’s four-year-old daughter Lainey has never been door-to-door trick-or-treating before, despite loving candy, especially Starbursts.
“Lainey was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in October of last year,” said Bishop. “Sometimes its hard to know if when you go out into these social situations if people are going to be receptive or not.”
Bishop describes her daughter as bright and sweet but worries about her information-processing delay. So, if she told Lainey to walk on the sidewalk instead of the grass, it would take time for Lainey’s brain to process that request.
“They may not know how to say ‘trick-or-treat.’ They may not know how to say thank you. They may not even have the ability to do it,” said Miranda Bennett, a certified behavior analyst with Project Hope Foundation in Spartanburg.
But despite that, Bennett said it’s best to treat every trick-or-treater with the same kindness, especially those carrying a blue bucket which symbolizes someone with a spectrum disorder or sensory-processing disorder.
Someone with a teal-colored pumpkin on their doorstep during Halloween means they’re likely participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project.
It’s an initiative powered by FARE that aims to allow millions of Americans with food allergies to still enjoy trick-or-treating.
“There are more than 160 food allergens that can cause an anaphylaxis shock,” said Dr. Sung Poblete, the CEO of FARE.
Dr. Poblete said alternatives to candy are toys and trinkets like glow sticks or pencils.
You can add your address to FARE’s online map by clicking or tapping here, letting people know your home is participating in the project.
According to Dr. Poblete, the online map is cleared away every year after Halloween so you’ll need to re-register if you’ve added your house to the map in the past.
