A Tennessee woman cautions people to remember that autistic kids trick-or-treat too, and that some of these children are non-verbal. Phieudora’s “friendly reminder” comes from a personal place, as she is a mother to an autistic child. Her TikTok video has over 889,000 views, over 189,000 likes, and over 3,500 comments.
She asks that if you’re heading out candy this year, remember not to put children on the spot. Phieudora explains, “Some kids are autistic, and they’re non-verbal.” So she asks that you don’t tell children they have to say trick-or-treat to get candy, because some can’t. This is a frustration she has with her son when they go out for Halloween in Memphis. She says, “He can’t say trick-or-treat, okay? Just give him some candy.”
Her video has several parents posting photos of bags in the comments. These bags are special trick-or-treat bags they got for their children, that say in big letters: “I am autistic and do not speak, but thank you for my treat.” Phieudora’s frustration sparked a conversation in the comments with parents sharing their own experiences.
Other Parents React To Tennessee Video
Most agree with Phieudora, while others also point out that some kids are just too shy to say anything. One commenter says, “Maybe don’t open your door all the way because my autistic kid will make himself at home.” Additionally, several parents add their own experiences taking their children around to houses. One says, “All my son will say is ‘ITS’A ME! MARIO’ with his cute level 2 self.” Another shares, “My daughter can show you how to hit the dougie but def not say trick or treat.”
Meanwhile, other parents extend this beyond autism, such as one who says, “Also, my 16-year-old has the mentality of an 8-year-old. Don’t give him a hard time; that’s ‘he’s too old to trick or treat’.” However, some state they don’t care if a kid says anything: “I give to every child whether they say it, don’t say it, little baby, big 17-year-old!! It’s a fun day for all!!” Elsewhere in the comments, Phieudora has one person’s mind blown: “Are people really out here withholding candy, waiting on a trick or treat?👀”
Phieudora intends to enjoy Halloween with her children and hopefully get lots of candy.
