At the age of three, Brayden Deely was diagnosed with autism. His mother, Erin thought that there might be some “typical family experiences” that may just not be a part of their family due to his condition.
One thought that crossed her mind was the holiday pictures, since he had a hard time with commotion, noise and pressure that were typically associated with them. She told PEOPLE magazine that he would even get anxious if he was asked to smile.
Despite the problems, Erin decided to bring Brayden to a special Caring Santa event on November 22. This even was being held at the SouthPark mall in Charlotte, NC. The program is designed to help special needs families with a unique visit and photos with Santa that would fit their needs.
You are not going to believe the results!
As Brayden moved toward the big chair, his mother could tell he was feeling shy. It was then that Santa took the initiative and got right down on the floor with Brayden to play. He saw the nervousness in the lad and thought he might not come to him to sit on his lap.
Brayden’s mom explains:
“Oh my gosh, to be able to do something that other families do… normally a lot of things are harder for us as a family and we got to do the same tradition as everyone else, we just do it on the floor.”
Autism Speaks partners with several other groups in the Caring Santa program. It provides an opportunity for special needs families to have the controlled and welcoming environment that they need for this visit. It is possible to sign up in advance to avoid wait times and the appointments take place prior to the time the mall opens. That helps families to avoid the chaos often associated with malls in the days leading up to Christmas.
The Autism Speaks Community Outreach Manager in the SOutheast Region, Maeghan Pawley, has this to say:
“The whole staff (Santa included) was overly accommodating for all of our kids, really trying to get the best picture and create the best experience possible, regardless of how much time or patience was needed to do so,”
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