Sitting on Santa’s lap may be a holiday favorite for some kids, but for others — especially those with autism — the crowds, lines, lights, and noise can be excruciating. After learning their son, Brayden, had autism, Erin Deely and her husband thought the perfect Christmas card was a notion they had to let go of. That was until they brought six-year-old Brayden to a Caring Santa program at a mall in North Carolina. This program gives special-needs families their own controlled environment to meet with Santa.
Brayden was able to meet Santa on his terms: belly-down on the floor. “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,” Erin said.
We can all agree this is a picture-perfect moment!
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