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Halloween is the perfect holiday to transform a wheelchair into the ultimate Halloween costume. We’re inspired by creative parents who up the ante and make over their children and wheelchairs to be fierce superheros, vehicles, whimsical animals and more. Not only is it fun for the whole family, but it’s also a creative way to raise awareness for special needs children.

Awesome Pirate Ship Costume - Special Needs Essentials

Non-profit Magic Wheelchair thinks that Halloween is the ultimate holiday where being wheelchair-bound is an asset, not a limitation. This Oregon-based company makes elaborate costumes that incorporate wheelchairs into their creative design. Founder Ryan Weimer has three children diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and he factors in both child and chair into his elaborate costumes. Past designs include an elaborate pirate ship, Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, and a Mario Cart.

My kids are seen as superstars and not looked at with sympathetic eyes or sadness,” said Weimer to BuzzFeed News.

Even if you’re not a master builder, you can create fun costumes for children in wheelchairs using little more than what you have laying around the house. Use cardboard and poster paint to transform wheelchairs into ice-cream trucks, pizza delivery , animals and more. Halloween is all about transformation and fun. Celebrate your child with a costume that not only compliments the wheelchair but makes it the centerpiece as well.

Wheelchair Superman - Special Needs Essentials

Here’s 15 suggestions for Halloween costumes ideas for children in wheelchairs:

  • Fred Flintstone in his car
  • Snoopy in his doghouse
  • Viking in a Viking Ship
  • Hello Kitty in a kitty car (see directions below)
  • Batman in his Batmobile
  • Aladdin on his Magic Carpet
  • Bee in a Beehive
  • Cinderella in her Carriage
  • DJ at the turntable
  • Pizza Delivery
  • Ice Cream Truck Driver
  • Farmer on a Tractor
  • Hockey goalie guarding the goal
  • Drummer with Drum Set
  • Neighborhood trolley from the classic children’s show Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood

DIY: How to Construct a Hello Kitty Car Costume for Halloween

Hello Kitty Car - Special Needs Essentials

Materials:

  • Cardboard
  • Poster board (pink, white and black)
  • Hot glue gun  
  • Glue sticks
  • Spray paint (pink, white, red)
  • Zip ties
  • 2 dowel rods

Assembly:

Start by sketching a design of one side of the car on cardboard, measuring the approximate length needed to accommodate the wheelchair. Repeat for the other side. Next, measure and cut out pieces of cardboard to form the front and back of the car.

Use a circular object to sketch circles on black poster board for the wheels and cut them out. Next, sketch out smaller circles on white poster board and glue them inside the black circles. Then paint the cardboard for the car body pink and glue it together. Make small red bows to decorate the wheels, mirrors and door handles and a large red bow to embellish the front of the car. Use cardboard to create tail lights and paint them red. You can also make a license plate and steering wheel to add to the whole experience.

The eyes and whiskers for Hello Kitty were cut out of black poster board and affixed with glue. White posterboard was folded and painted pink for the ears. White poster board, colored yellow, works perfectly to form the kitty nose. We also used pages from a Hello Kitty coloring book, colored and cut them, and attached them to the car for decoration. We sculpted a dash from a piece of cardboard Lastly, use white poster board or cardboard to construct the front fender and bumper.

When it’s time to don the costume, use 2 dowel rods and zip ties to fasten the car to the wheelchair. Glue the dowel rods to the cardboard car to keep it in place in the back. Then zip tie it to the handle bar. Lastly, use zip ties to secure it on each side of the wheelchair.

Feel free to use your creativity and build your Hello Kitty Car out of materials you have around the house. This Hello Kitty Car Costume will transform a wheelchair into mobile awesomeness.

Want to share your epic Halloween creation with us? Head over to our Facebook page and share the love!

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1. Set up a routine for your students
All students but especially those with special needs have their learning experience enhanced by a routine that gives them confidence. It gives a structure and minimizes discipline problems for children of different learning abilties.

2. Have your students involved in classroom decoration
This is a fun way to get everyone involved in their learning environment, and can be split up in several arts, crafts and writing activities. A classroom is never too much decorated.

Boy with Developmental Disability

3. Be patient
You will not master special education in a day. Be patient with yourself, and with your students. Each year, things will get better over time as you know them better and find what works for you all.

4. Be organized
You will soon discover that as soon as you think you are done with paperwork, there is more to do. Keep up with it in a timely manner or you will be fast buried unto it.

5. Be dynamic
You will spend time looking for your path and then suddenly, something will change. A new student may be added to your classroom, there may be changes in the school staff, or your students start to behave differently. Do not take any of this personally and move on to find the next best solution!

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6. Adapt testing to your students
Not all children need to be tested the same way. Unlike mainstream classrooms, yours is special because you have the opportunity to make these students feel bright. For instance, the test can be in writing for some, in speaking for others.

7. Communicate with parents
They will love getting news from the classroom, but they will also provide you with amazingly helpful information on your students. They’ve probably figured out a few things on their child before you and what they haven’t figured out, you can share with them. Communication is the key.

These are Colored pencils on white

8. Do your research before buying supplies
Some school supplies out there are not truly adapted to special needs kids. Check that they are safe, easy to use and frustration free before making your purchase.

9. Find someone you can speak to
They don’t have to be in your field. It can be a friend, your spouse or whoever you are comfortable with! It’s always good to have a fresh set of eyes on your everyday problems or even just be able to vent.

10. Talk with other special ed teachers
They will always have interesting tips that worked in their classroom. It can be overwhelming if you try to make them all happen at once, but do take pieces of advice here and there based on your own classroom style.

11. Be proud of what you do
Because, you can! Remember those days when becoming a special ed teacher was just an idea and see all you have done. You do one of the most beautiful jobs in the world. Believe us, many parents out there are jealous of the time you spend with their little ones. They would take your seat, if only they could.

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12. Finally, relax!
You ARE a superhero (all teachers are). But even superheroes take breaks. Remind yourself that not everything can be perfect and as long as you have the right attitude, it will all work out.