Santa Makes Christmas Extra Special For A Little Boy With Autism In Touching Photo

Santa Makes Christmas Extra Special For This Little Boy With Autism
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Santa went the extra mile to make sure a little boy with autism had a memorable Christmas.

The boy was too afraid to sit on Santa's lap in a shopping mall in North Carolina and his parents were unable to convince him to sit down.

So Santa got off his chair, lay on the floor with the boy and gave him a snow globe for the two of them to play with.

The touching moment was captured in this photograph.

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The boy's mother, Erin Deely, , commented on the photo which was uploaded by the organisation Autism Speaks.

She wrote: "[My son] very much wanted to see Santa but was very shy and doesn't like eye contact.

"We brought those Chip and Dale stuffed animals that Santa is holding for our son to focus on instead.

"Luckily Santa had that awesome snowglobe so they traded and bonded on the floor. No meltdowns and no forcing on our part."

Santa was visiting the mall during an Autism Speaks Caring Santa event.

The Caring Santa events are an opportunity for families that have children with autism to enter a calming and welcoming environment to visit Santa.

Maeghan Pawley, a member of Autism Speaks’ Family Services team, said: "The whole staff (Santa included) was overly accommodating for all of our kids.

"They really tried to get the best picture and create the best experience possible, regardless of how much time or patience was needed to do so."

"See this to me is one of many true heroes... taking his time with children," commented one person on the photo.

"Bless this Santa and thank goodness that there are people out there that are willing to give up their comfort to help and make someone else comfortable."

Another person wrote: "That is a great Santa, I hope the boy remembers that forever."

This Is Autism
Bianca(01 of21)
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gio613:
Bianca is a music fan (will even dance to commercials) who absolutely loves Elmo and Mickey Mouse. She cannot live without her iPad and touchscreen PC (she wonders why everything is not touch, as evidenced by her constantly touching all screens). She is a devout fan of chips and chicken nuggets loves to laugh and hug. You will probably find her relaxing at home and asking for tickles!
Our family at the White House Easter Egg Roll(02 of21)
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LisaLightnerLL:
This is Kevin at the White House Egg Roll. He likes to do what all American kids do, he just needs some extra help!
Remy(03 of21)
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ktrayn78:
Our son Remy is almost three years old. He loves joking around with his Poppo, playing in the tub, and racing his cars. He smiles almost all day long and is the light of our lives.
Jude(04 of21)
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Kimwstafford:
This is Jude. He is 7 years old and has autism. He also has a big and sensitive heart, an insatiable curiosity, a love of adventure and a hard working spirit. And we love him just the way he is.
This is Autism(05 of21)
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Laura McNemee:
This is JacobHe loves nature, long walks (more like runs), jumping on his trampoline, Toy Story, and cuddling with MommyWhen he looks at me I feel like he has jumped into my soulHe has opened up my eyes to what life really is.He is Autism
Brodie J.(06 of21)
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Erica Lee 01129:
This is Brodie J. He loves anything car related. Has a collection of over 100 Hot Wheels (and counting). This is what Autism looks like...Handsome!!!
Luke(07 of21)
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yrlbaker:
Luke means "light giving" in Latin. His smile lights up a room. He loves to laugh and loves hugs and tickles. He is improving every day. Luke is my ray of sunshine.
Sebastian(08 of21)
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This is Sebastian aka "SB"If he's not melting your heart with kisses, he'll probably be serenading you to his favorite songs. He's an explorer, musician and comedian.This is Autism. (credit:Sindy German )
Kristopher(09 of21)
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Our wonderful Kristoper diagnosed at 2 years with Autism (now 9 years old); is such a joy and inspiration. His smile says it all. (credit:Karen Carkner )
Seth (10 of21)
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Seth, 16 loves Christmas, fire fighters and country music. (credit:Kris and Steve Neiman)
brother and sister(11 of21)
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This is Abe and Mati. Brother and Sister. Both have a high functioning form of Autism known as Aspergers. Both are incredibly smart and creative. These are just two more beautiful faces of Autism. (credit:heidi)
Sam(12 of21)
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(credit:Miglena Sandmeier)
Aiden (13 of21)
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This is Aiden. He loves dinosaurs, Skylanders, "The Polar Express," Halloween and playing outside. He is an awesome big brother to his little sister, Emily. He is caring, imaginative and just a little mischievous! This is Aiden. This is autism. (credit:Saiyuri)
James (14 of21)
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James love Transformers, Iron Man, dinosaurs, SpongeBob and building things. He loves to draw and invent new things and making videos with his sister Melissa. He also loves spending time with his other sister Ellie and playing with our dogs Sammi and Mia. He's full of love, laughter and is the first one to offer you a hug when he knows you are sad. He is awesome! (credit:Deannda Neufer )
Mason and Kovas(15 of21)
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Kovas has autism but that doesn't stop him from being a dedicated scout or amazing friend! Kovas and Mason have been buddies for over three years. (credit:Bekki Woertink)
Micah(16 of21)
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debeecole:
This is Micah.He loves books, playing tag, exploring, and The Angry Birds.He has a laugh that is contagious & an Amazing imagination. He is one of the faces of Autism.
Quentin(17 of21)
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Melissa Morgenlander:
My son Quentin can hack an ipad app to get to his favorite youtube videos. He loves cuddling in bed, hugging his friends and teachers, and spinning around with his twin sister. He is almost 6 years old, and he has PDD-NOS. This is what autism looks like.
This is Brady(18 of21)
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This is Garrett(19 of21)
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This is Autism.(20 of21)
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Steph Steinmetz:
This is DJ. He is an 8 year old bundle of energy. He loves video games, computers and his brother and sister. He is one of the sweetest, funniest kids ever. DJ enriches the lives of everyone he meets. This is autism.
This is a picture of hope for those of you just starting out.(21 of21)
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Suzanne Romero:
This is my son who also happens to be autistic. He started school when he was a beautiful wide eyed, non verbal two and a half year old. Now he's a beautiful young man. Wednesday May 15th he graduated from high school. It was a long hard road for both of us, but I would do it all over again. It isn't over. Now a new wonderful chapter begins.