Christmas is an exciting time for a 6-year-old Greenwood boy, but until recently something as simple as telling Santa what he wanted was terrifying, and he was too afraid to visit him and tell him about his wish list.
Gabe Garrett is on the autism spectrum, and although he is high-functioning, simple holiday traditions can trigger panic, fear and tantrums that other people often don’t understand.
To make sure that kids of all abilities get a chance to see Santa, Simon, owner of the Greenwood Park Mall, hosts Caring Santa events, which allow families to come into the mall before it opens and visit with Santa in a quieter, sensory-friendly atmosphere.
The event is especially important to Gabe’s mom, Lacy Harris, and his grandfather, Jim Coddington, who took him to see Santa on Sunday morning at the mall.
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Click here to purchase photos from this gallery“Last year was the first time Gabe sat on Santa’s lap,” Coddington said.
Gabe loves to go into buildings and look at their elevators. He knows how to operate them, understands how their mechanical parts work, and routinely explains to service and maintenance workers whether their elevator is a Thyssen-Krupp, Schindler or another brand — and why they’re different. He eagerly talks about everything he loves — and what he wants for Christmas is lip balm, Junior Mint candies and of course, an elevator toy.
And this visit, Gabe wasn’t afraid, happily telling Santa what he wanted.
Sarah and Joseph Dant, also Greenwood residents, were at the mall to take their son, Liam, 6, to see Santa. Liam is on the autism spectrum. The Dants are also the parents of Charlotte, 2, and Rowan, 4 months.
Sarah Dant said the event is so unique and welcoming for their family. Being able to go to the mall to see Santa without long lines, crowds and noise is hugely beneficial.
“We want Liam to be able to experience things,” she said. “But he easily gets excited.”
Joseph and Sarah do their best to take all three of their kids to as many events as they can, but have to be prepared to leave in five minutes if it proves too stimulating for Liam.
Simple tasks like running errands are a huge challenge for families like the Dants.
“He can be fine one moment and then have a meltdown,” Sarah Dant said.
For example, when they went to pick pumpkins this year, Liam was fine because the pumpkin patch was outdoors and there was no noise or other stimulating factors that can upset him at times. Other tasks aren’t that easy.
Other people might think Sarah or Joseph should just correct him or put him in time-out, but dealing with behavior isn’t that easy with autistic kids, they said.
Santa knows what kinds of challenges the children who come to see him might have, and so he’s extra patient and knows how to interact with them in a way that is calming and soothing.
This year was a success for the Dants.
“It’s been fun,” Sarah Dant said.
Stefani Kirkwood took her son, Jaxson, 2, to see Santa. Having a son on the autism spectrum can be trying at times. But Jaxson was happy to visit with Santa and enjoyed the experience on Sunday morning, his mother said.
“It is hard to find stuff to take your kids to around Christmas,” she said.
To be able to go to an event that typically has hundreds of people waiting in line and talking is a big blessing for their family, since that can cause Jaxson to have a tantrum.
“It is frustrating,” she said.
Renee Harper was there with her two sons, who both have special needs. Isaac, 4, who has autism, and Axel, 3, who is developmentally delayed.
Both kids love playing games, the alphabet and Toy Story. The brothers are just 17 months apart, and communication is difficult. Because of their conditions, relaying even simple needs and wants to their parents is hard.
So going to see Santa, and all that it entails — like standing in long lines, dealing with noise and flashing lights — is nearly impossible for kids with special needs, Harper said.
The mall event created a very welcoming atmosphere that will give their family a nice memory made just for them, she said.
