Santa’s Magic in Our Autism Journey
Every year at Christmastime, my older two children either went to see Santa, or we talked all about Santa and wrote lists. I could see the excitement building inside them and the anticipation on their faces on Christmas Eve as they got ready for bed.
They would wake up on Christmas morning and run into the living room, yelling out, “Santa came!” and dive into their gifts.
Olivia, on the other hand, was nonspeaking, and although I still tried to tell her about Santa and presents, she seemed to have zero interest in or understanding of them.
She rarely let people into her world, so going to see Santa was a big no for her. For many years, I opened her presents for her because she just didn’t seem to connect to any of them
.
Sometime around 6 or 7 years old, she had a big language burst, and she started to get into Christmas songs. She also started to really connect to the shiny ornaments and the beautiful glow of the tree. A bright, shimmering Christmas tree is still one of her favorite things on the planet!
At around 9 years old, she started to understand the word “Santa” and that he brought her toys and presents. She also started opening her own Christmas presents, and it actually became exciting for her! However, she still wanted no part of actually having to sit next to or talk to Santa in person.
Christmas of 2020, Olivia was 11 years old. One of Mike’s good friends and his wife dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus at Christmastime, and they do little events in the town where they live. It’s really wonderful. They called Mike on the afternoon of Christmas Eve and said they were going to be in the area of our house. Could they stop by and see Olivia? Mike said yes right away.
I was a little concerned about the idea because seeing Santa in person always seemed to make her really anxious, but Mike asked me to relax and just try it.
We were in our own home, away from the public, so I decided, why not? Olivia was a bit shy at first, but before we knew it, she was going right up to Santa and Mrs. Claus, studying their faces and clothing. She started smiling and happy-stimming; it was so sweet. She was so excited that Santa and Mrs. Claus made a special visit to her house just to see her! The look on her face was priceless!
Olivia still won’t go see Santa when we are out in public, so we can’t call that a tradition. However, it is a really beautiful memory that we will always have, and that is okay with me.
Forced traditions aren’t what make the holiday special. Living in the moment and cherishing it—and the memories of it—is where all the magic lives for us.
Written by Laura Simzyk of Olivia’s Extraordinary Journey
