What was claimed
If you see someone trick or treating carrying a blue pumpkin, it could be a sign they’re autistic.
Our verdict
The blue pumpkins are not an official campaign, but have been embraced by some people (mostly, it seems in America).
Blue trick or treating pumpkin buckets are not official symbols for the autistic community
24 October 2019
Several Facebook posts shared thousands of times on Facebook have claimed that a trick or treater carrying a blue Halloween pumpkin is a sign that the person is autistic. One post says the “autism community” created the campaign.
While some autistic trick or treaters may choose to carry a blue pumpkin, it’s not clear whether or not the autism community widely supports the campaign.
If someone has a blue pumpkin it doesn't necessarily mean they are autistic (they have also been used to signal certain food allergies). Equally, someone not having a blue pumpkin shouldn’t be taken to indicate that they aren't autistic.
The initiative seems to have started with a post last year from a mother who’d used a blue pumpkin to signify that her son was autistic when he went out trick or treating. It was also reposted on the Facebook page of US charity Autism Speaks. The charity has long been associated with the colour blue, using it in its logo and range of campaigns. Both posts went viral and, in the run-up to Halloween, the blue buckets have been embraced by some.
However, some people in the autism community have rejected the campaign due to its connection with Autism Speaks. The charity is the subject of controversy in the community for its descriptions of autism as a “disaster” and in need of a cure.
This article is part of our work fact checking potentially false pictures, videos and stories on Facebook. You can read more about this—and find out how to report Facebook content—here. For the purposes of that scheme, we’ve rated this claim as true because it is accurate that some are choosing to adopt blue pumpkins, however, the symbol is not an official campaign from autistic people.