Magical Santa visit for children with additional needs

For kids with special needs and their families, the University of Galway hosted a very magical Santa’s Grotto on Saturday.

The event’s organisers, from the university’s School of Psychology, note that while many families take an annual trip to see Santa Claus for granted, children with developmental disabilities may find it challenging to visit Santa in malls and other public places due to the noise, lights, and long lines.

The sensory-friendly Santa’s Grotto at the university aimed to give these children and their families an opportunity to visit Santa Claus without those pressures.

Employees from the School of Psychology and Ph.D. and MSc candidates in Applied Behaviour Analysis volunteered to serve as elves to help kids and their families have the best possible experience with Santa on the day.

The School of Psychology sponsored sensory-friendly toys for the kids, and McDs in Galway transformed the school into a magical wonderland. Santa and his elves contacted families in advance of the event to learn how to best support each child who visits.

Dr. Ciara Gunning, who coordinated the sensory Santa grotto, said that it is an important opportunity to highlight how occasions like a visit to Santa can be made more accessible and inclusive for all children through communication with families and preparation to meet their support needs.

“We might just be giving some extra time to a child to settle into the room with Santa or turning down the lights and music, but these small changes mean that we can share the magic of Christmas with families who might not otherwise get this experience”, she said.

In addition to the Sensory Friendly Santa’s Grotto this year, visitors and volunteers contributed items for Christmas hampers for those in need as part of the COPE Christmas appeal collection.

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