Athboy mum's joy as autistic son celebrates Halloween for first time

The proud mum of an autistic boy who didn't speak until he was seven and a half has spoken of her joy of her son celebrating Halloween for the first time ever.

Claire Daly's son says her son Jack (7) who was non verbal until February never showed an interest in the spooky season previously but this year was in full Halloween mode.

Speaking on the family's momentous occasion, the proud mum said:

"For a child with a diagnosis of autism and a child who never had any interest in Halloween, this year was very special when he asked to dress up and go trick or treating.

"Halloween finished on Sunday and yesterday we were taking down a few decorations and he came home from school and he is full Christmas mode!

"I used to think that Jack's days rolled into days, he wasn't aware of the seasons and he never got excited like his older brother did but this year he is full on.

"Jack only started talking last year and was fully non verbal until he was seven and a half. In February 2020 he started saying a few words, things like daddy and mammy and then covid hit and schools closed, supports, finished, our world stopped turning really.

"I was saying this child has started to talk, I have waited forever for this and now everything is stopping on us but we put in the work despite having no supports and now he is singing songs and having full conversations. Maybe he did enjoy these things but could never verbalise it."

"When you have a child who is non verbal, you don't know if they are sick, if they are happy, sad, you are guessing all of the time. Now he is full on Christmas mode, he wanted to put the tree up yesterday!

Claire also mum to Luke (9) said it was "a miracle" when her son started to communicate, she added:

"When he started talking, it was a miracle for me. He never asked me for a costume, I bought them every year and I kept them and gave them to my sister with the tags still on them because he never wore them.

"Last year at school the kids dressed up and he only had a t-shirt with a picture of a pumpkin on it but this year he wanted to be a T-rex!

"He even wanted to go trick or treating and we brought him out at 6 o'clock and even the neighbours were delighted to see him!"