23 Adaptive Halloween Costumes to Buy or DIY

By Brooke Bunce and Nicole Harris
August 11, 2015
Credit: Courtesy of Target
Every kid deserves to flaunt their best ensemble on Halloween. Get inspired by these adaptive Halloween costumes to buy or DIY, which cater to children with mental and physical disabilities.
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Mr. Rogers

Credit: Courtesy of Mary Evelyn Smith

"My son is a huge fan of the classic Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television show. We built the Neighborhood Trolley from scratch and dressed him in a cardigan and tie just like Fred Rogers!" — Mary Evelyn Smith, mom of Simeon, age 2, of Columbus, OH

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Doctor Who

Credit: Courtesy of Tresa Edmunds

"We love Doctor Who for its optimism and creativity, which are values I want to instill in my child. I also love this costume because Doctor Who's time machine (the TARDIS) is famous for being bigger on the inside, just like my little guy." — Tresa Edmunds, mom of Atticus, age 7, of Sacramento, CA

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Magical Unicorn

Credit: Courtesy of Target
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This adaptive Halloween costume from Target is “sensory-friendly,” since it was made with flat seams and no tags. Your child will love the attached wings, shiny horn, and glittery details!

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The House from Up!

Credit: Courtesy of Ryan McCubbin

"We got bored building different types of transportation around our daughter's chair, so we attached a foam house to the back of it and had her be Mr. Fredrickson [from Pixar's Up!] with our son Cade as Russell." — Ryan McCubbin, dad of Peyton, 14, with brother, Cade, of Morrison, CO

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Pizza Delivery Truck

Credit: Courtesy of Phil Weaver

"Jack loves pizza, especially from Cicero's [the family's local pizza joint]. They were kind enough to provide a shirt and some boxes for their only delivery truck!" — Phil Weaver, dad of Jack, age 6, of Santa Clara, CA

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Pretty Princess

Credit: Courtesy of Target
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Calling all princesses! This pretty hot pink Halloween costume—complete with a sparkly crown—will transform your daughter into royalty. Not only is the costume friendly for those in wheelchairs, it also has a convenient back opening for easy dressing. 

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Flower Garden

Credit: Courtesy of Kathy Eastman

"The flower costume, grown with '100 percent love,' was a big hit everywhere we went and several people wanted their picture taken with it." — Kathy Eastman, mom of Addison, age 9, of Lincoln, NE

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Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon

Credit: Courtesy of Ryan Weimer

"For Halloween, my oldest son wanted to be a dragon rider and fly Toothless from his favorite movie How to Train Your Dragon. These costumes for one day of the year—and really any day they want to rock 'em—bridge the gap of excluding kids in wheelchairs and do that in an epic way!"— Ryan Weimer, dad of Keaton, age 9 and Bryce, age 3 (next slide), of Keizer, OR

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Gronckle from How To Train Your Dragon

Credit: Courtesy of Ryan Weimer

"My wife made this blue furry Gronckle costume in a day to go with his big brother's Toothless costume. In these costumes, my kids become rock stars and the wheelchairs disappear!" — Ryan Weimer, dad of Bryce, age 3, and Keaton, age 9 (previous slide), of Keizer, OR

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Ice Cream Truck

Credit: Courtesy of SpiritHalloween.com
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We all scream for ice cream with this adaptable Halloween costume. The boxy facade fits comfortably over your child’s wheelchair. Bonus points if she actually has sweet treats for friends and family! 

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Credit: Courtesy of Amanda Ridding

"Nickolas is obsessed with ninja turtles, and when we were thinking of Halloween, the Shellraiser was the perfect idea. Making Nick's walker or wheelchair into part of his costume is why Halloween is one of our favorite times of year!" — Amanda Ridding, mom of Nickolas, age 5, of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

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Elmo Sweatshirt

Credit: Courtesy of HalloweenCostumes.com
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For a child with a sensory disorder, choose a costume that resembles clothing he’s familiar with. This soft Elmo sweatshirt, for example, might provide the comfort he craves. 

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Bat Mobile

Credit: Courtesy of Laura Shuler

"Gavin loved being Batman and driving his Batmobile around the neighborhood on Halloween. My husband and I love building his costume each year! We work hard on spreading the mission of inclusion, and building these costumes for us really helps to put Gavin right with the other kids in our neighborhood." — Laura Shuler, mom of Gavin, age 11, of Jacksonville, NC

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Cinderella's Carriage

Credit: Courtesy of Jessica Dickson

"Spina Bifida and walking long distances is hard on my daughter's body, so I wanted to create something fun for her with her favorite princess, Cinderella. I hand-painted and cut out each side of the carriage from cardboard. She loved it!" — Jessica Dickson, mom of Chloe, age 5, of Sunbury, PA

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Little Shark

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With no tags and flat seams, this adaptive Halloween costume from Target is sensory-friendly. The shark getup is extra comfortable with plush construction, and it also features fins and a hood with detachable teeth. A well-placed flap allows easy access to the abdominal region.

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Under the Rainbow

Credit: Courtesy of Amber Bobnar

"I try to design Ivan's costumes around something I know he likes, then just make them as big and over the top as possible. As we walk down the street trick-or-treating, the neighborhood kids come out to walk with us because they love Ivan's costumes!"— Amber Bobnar, mom of Ivan, age 10 of Watertown, MA

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Wizard of Oz

Credit: Courtesy of Jason Hurst Photography

"As a family, we try to make Tucker feel involved by doing a family theme that uses his wheelchair. We try to choose themes that people will really enjoy so that people are excited to see us each year and give him such amazing support and attention."— Jason Hurst, dad of Tucker, age 14, of Statesboro, GA

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Mario

Credit: Courtesy of Cassie McLelland

"Caleb was 5 years old and Mario Kart was his favorite Wii game at that time. His younger brother Benjamin was Luigi. MarioKart was probably the hardest costume I have made for Caleb; it's also my favorite."— Cassie McLelland, mom of Caleb, age 9 of Mansfield, TX

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Pirate

Credit: Courtesy of Target

With this pirate adaptable Halloween costume, your child will conquer the seven seas! Dressing in the costume is a cinch, thanks to the back opening and wide leg openings. Traditional pirate details, such as a triangular hat and striped pants, make the hunt for buried treasure even more fun. 

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Hello Kitty Car

Credit: Courtesy of Casey Arledge

"Kinley was born with Spina Bifida. For Halloween, our family made a costume that turned the focus away from Kinley's wheelchair and instead to a fun, creative, Hello Kitty car costume with a beautiful, happy, and capable toddler girl behind the wheel. Her smile says it all!" — Casy Arledge, mom of Kinley, age 2, of Circleville, OH

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Dracula

Credit: Courtesy of Cheryl Clatworthy

"Every year we try to make it feasible for my son to participate in the costume parade at school and trick-or-treat around the neighborhood like all the other kids. Gabriel played the part very well, trying to scare all the girls! In whole it cost about $50 to make, using a lot of stuff we already had around the house, including a reinforced dolly that stood in for his usual Dynamic Stander."—Cheryl Clatworthy, mom of Gabriel McInturff, age 13, of Mogadore, OH

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Astronaut

Credit: Courtesy of SpiritHalloween.com
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This adaptable Halloween costume transforms your child’s wheelchair into a rocket ship. Your astronaut will be ready for take off (AKA trick-or-treating)!

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Wild Kratts

Credit: Courtesy of Cassie McLelland

"Caleb loves the Wild Kratts show on PBS. He was Chris Kratt (one of the Kratt brothers) driving the Createrra. I made the vehicle from cardboard to fit around his wheelchair." — Cassie McLelland, mom of Caleb, age 9, of Mansfield, TX

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