Recently, several relatively autistic-friendly Santa-visit locations were highlighted in this column, but another option could be available if we request it of local malls and other Santa-venues. Often the bright lights, the noise and crowds at malls are too much for our autistic and sensory -disordered kids. According to an article from The Autism News, last year, a Dayton, Ohio-area mall provided a sensory-friendly Santa visit option for kids with autism. This year, The Country Club Mall in Cumberland, Maryland is offering a 'Sensitive Santa' option on December 6th, with an environment suitable for autistic and sensory-disordered children. The event is for children with autism and their families only.

None of the bigger Philadelphia-area malls that we checked offer this type of option for visiting Santa, though the King of Prussia Mall does offer a "FastPass" that allows families to order a photo package ahead of time and stand in a shorter line to visit the Jolly Old Elf. This can be very helpful for families with mildly autistic kids as the wait times won't be as long.

If you'd like to bring a 'Sensitive Santa' style option to the area, consider writing to your local mall's customer service department with a link to the Country Club Mall's website or the article about 'Sensitive Santa' linked above, to request an alternative that's more suited for kids with sensory challenges. Not only does the Country Club Mall provide an alternative for kids with sensory problems, but they also have a sign language Santa program for the hearing impaired.

If your local mall offers a 'Sensitive Santa' type of option, please let us know about it in the comments!