Halloween is a holiday that no one should be held back from – especially those with challenging disabilities. One Colorado 6 year-old with cerebral palsy and epilepsy has a Dad with a much larger vision than his son’s wheelchair. This year, he turned his son’s chair into a tank fully-equipped with dry ice smoke!
The loving Dad, so spends anywhere between 15 and 30 hours per costume each year for the past 3 years was very open about his son’s condition. He stated, “He is nonverbal and unable to communicate at this time. He smiles and laughs a lot, we have a good idea what books, stories, movies, cartoons etc. he is in to. We are always introducing him to new things and we keep tabs on what he seems to enjoy. That is basically how we zero in on what we are building that year. “
The child’s biological father would prefer to keep him out of school and away from other children. But the boy’s step father steps it up and ensures his son has a great time.
His step-dad says, “He is very auditory, he likes music and having stories read to him. He also likes painting and coloring. He is a little thrill seeker I tell ya. Loves riding on the four-wheeler, swinging, spinning in circles. Really enjoys being outside, when it isn’t too windy.”
Dad has broken the code: “Even though he is nonverbal, we have our ways of communicating. Laughs, cries, smiles, sighs. You just have to learn the language.”
They make it a family thing: “Every year is a learning experience. My wonderful wife is also there to lend a hand.“
