Six-year-old Sam Kelly remembered visiting Santa at Sensity in Paris last year.
Perhaps Sam was surprised that Santa also remembered him.
“Oh, are we going to run again?” asked Santa, as Sam, who has autism, began to run around the large quiet room where about 30 families were welcomed – one group at a time — to visit ‘Sensitive Santa’ on Saturday.
“Then let’s run!” Santa said trotting after Sam.
Hosted by the county, city and the Sensity Deafblind and Sensory Support Network of Canada, the Sensitive Santa program offers a rare change for families of special needs children to have the kind of Santa experience they can’t get at the mall.
Santa helper Martyn Camper has experience with working with developmentally delayed adults and children and, rather than a bag of presents, offers a bag of diversions that might capture the interest of a reluctant child.
“The thing about Sensitive Santa is that each kid will react differently to Santa. If Sam wants to run, we run. If a kid wants to go play the piano, we open up the piano and sit there. It’s whatever each kid needs, and that’s exactly what this is all about.”
Sam wasn’t interested in a string of giant Christmas bells but, when Santa drew out a stuffed musical reindeer with a spinning red nose from his sack, Sam soon came near to observe.
Then the six-year-old decided to sit at the decorative fireplace and his family — Robbie and Nicole Kelly and one-and-a-half-year-old Arwen, joined him.
Santa left his couch to come over to crouch by the group for a family portrait, too.
The Kelly parents were thrilled with the experience.
“He’s always loved Santa but gets so over-stimulated by the noise and activity at the malls that he’s never been able to go,” said Robbie Kelly.
“When we heard about this last year and came, it just made his Christmas.”
With lineups, noise and, often, time restrictions at mall Santas, families of special needs kids either opt not to even try a Santa visit or see their efforts end in tears and frustration.
“Here, Santa remembered running around with Sam last year and was just available to him,” said Kelly.
“At no other Santa location is Santa going to have the time to get down and take pictures at the fireplace and play with Sam.”
While Sam gets some services through Lansdowne Children’s Center and that facility hosts a huge annual Christmas party for clients, Sam’s mother said that would have been far too overwhelming for Sam.
“That’s a bit too much for him. Here, he doesn’t have to put up a wall and try to fit in with how others are behaving. He can be super excited and not worry that anyone is going to be staring at him.
The Santa visit includes helpers taking photos for the family, a visit to the super-sensory Snoezelen Room filled with lights and tactile objects and another quiet spot to make a craft, where James Wilson was working on an art project with his seven-year- old son, Colin.
“It’s always great coming to see Sensitive Santa,” said Wilson.
“(Colin) loves art and music but has issues with large groups. Santa is so calm and patient here.”
Camper used to live in Paris before his retirement but loves the idea of returning to play a part in the Sensitive Santa program.
“It’s one of the things I look forward to every year.”
