Safety Tips for Trick or Treating with Hearing Loss

In just a few days, children will put on their spookiest costumes, grab their sturdiest bags, and embark on a candy-collecting adventure. Halloween is a fun-filled holiday but it can also be dangerous - especially for children who have hearing loss. If your child has hearing loss, here are some tips to ensure their safety as they celebrate.

• Check your child’s hearing aids: Make sure your child’s hearing aids are clean, well charged, and free of any debris.  If you plan to be out during the day and into the night, consider bringing along a back-up pair of batteries that can be used if needed. For most modern hearing aids, the volume level will automatically adjust to their surroundings. However, it’s important to note that noisy activities like haunted houses could still be overwhelming for your child. 
• Make sure costumes fit properly and safely: When helping your child get dressed, make sure the costume and accessories fit properly and do not obstruct their ability to hear. 
• Stay close to your child throughout the night: It’s important that a parent or responsible adult keep a close eye on your child. There is a high level of foot and vehicle traffic on Halloween night. Children with hearing loss may not be aware of an idling car and could potentially walk into the path of a vehicle. Be sure to educate your child prior to trick-or-treating so they know to use crosswalks, walk calmly rather than running ahead and always wait to cross the street.
• Wear bright-colored/reflective clothing: Sending your child trick-or-treating with bright colored clothing, glow sticks, flashlights, or reflective bags will help increase their visibility to drivers and other pedestrians. This is extremely important so that in the event that your child doesn’t hear a car coming, the driver can take notice of their presence.