Santa Visits Delight Children and Families
Crafts, games and visits with Old Saint Nick were entertaining children and families at the 6th annual Sensory Friendly Time with Santa held Dec. 4 at the Millcreek Mall. The Barber National Institute sponsors the event to provide families of children with autism or other special needs a stress free experience with Santa.
This event offers an opportunity for children to visit outside of Santa’s regular hours and background music is turned off, creating a less stimulating and calmer atmosphere.
“Some children with autism can handle the energy of a busy mall around Christmastime, but many others have a hard time tolerating the intense sounds and sights,” said Dr. Maureen Barber-Carey, executive vice president at the Barber National Institute. “We have worked with the Millcreek Mall to set aside a time outside of their usual hours to create an experience that reduces the stress for children and their parents.”
Youngsters enjoyed activities such as face painting, holiday crafts, and games on an iPad. Volunteers from the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Gannon University assisted Barber National Institute staff with the activities.
More information about the event is available in a story from WJET/Fox 66 News
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