Sensitive Santa is a Santa for all

For many families, the holiday season can have a list of must-dos. Welcome the season with the tree lightning in downtown Las Cruces, check. Drive around and look at Christmas lights, check. Book a time to see Santa, check. Often, seeing Santa can bring stress and anxiety to any family, but when a child is on the autism spectrum, more planning and care is needed. 

The New Mexico State University Papen-Aprendamos Autism Diagnostic Center will host their first Sensitive Santa meet-and-greet on Dec. 3 at the Edgar R. Garrett Speech and Hearing Center, 1405 International Mall on the NMSU campus. This event will provide a sensory friendly environment designed for children on the autism spectrum. 

“Our goal for Sensitive Santa is for families that have a child that has autism to get to be families, and experience those Christmas traditions. We know that seeing Santa at the mall can be really overwhelming. There’s long lines, there’s lots of people. You’re in big places, it's echoey, it's loud. You have to wait forever. And all of that can be overwhelming. And it makes it so that some children with autism are very, very uncomfortable. That experience of families trying to have one of those Christmas memories turns into something that is really frustrating,” Kali Hall, the center’s community outreach coordinator, said. 

Unlike traditional meetings with Santa, here families will book a staggered time to meet Santa that is just for their family. If the child feels comfortable to meet Santa and take the photo, they can proceed. However, if the child is wary of Santa or the space, there are options for the child and Santa to gain familiarity.  

“It is much more on the terms of the child and the family,” Hall began. “If they walk in, Santa’s there and they’re not quite sure about it, we have some small rooms off to the sides (where) lights are a little dimmer and we've got some really regulatory activities.” 

Activities such as Christmas stamps, taking ornaments up and down off of felt trees or creating their own sticker ornament, allow the children to engage in activities that are comforting and creative until they are ready to try meeting Santa again.     

Hall said that if the child is still leery, “Santa can go into a room, if the parents are okay, and play stamps with them or kind of have an experience with them… You still have this positive moment of interacting with Santa.”

Families will need to reserve a time via email at adcoutreach@nmsu.edu. Space is limited, to ensure families have their dedicated time. 

Hall noted that staff and volunteers from the center and the Communication Disorders Department at NMSU will work together to reach their goal of providing a positive experience for the children in whatever way that looks for them. She said they are not the first to offer this event, but their inspiration arose from parents with children on the spectrum sharing their experiences.

In 2019, the Autism Diagnostic Center was established at NMSU. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they didn't have their two full diagnostic teams until 2021. One of their teams is bilingual. Hall explained their teams consist of a Stage 1 certified autism specialist psychologist and speech language pathologist. Their Stage 1 certification is a special certification through the state of New Mexico allowing them to give the diagnosis of autism recognized through Medicaid. PAADC also has occupational therapists on staff to assist with sensory profiles and supports. 

Their main mission is diagnostics, because so many families need that diagnosis to be recognized by Medicaid before they can get autism-specific services. Hall noted that families seeking assistance from their department need a medical referral. Further information is available via adcoutreach@nmsu.edu.