For most parents, taking the kids to see Santa is an event to look forward to. But for Sarah Beppu of Honolulu, it was an ordeal that brought more stress than enjoyment.
The confluence of music, crowds, bright lights and commotion were overwhelming for her son, Dylan, now 11, who has autism spectrum disorder and is particularly sensitive to noise.
“For him I think it was the noise,” she said. “He couldn’t pinpoint every noise. If there was a song playing, someone having a conversation, he would hear it all at the same time. Just standing in line, by the time we got through the mall noise, music-playing noise and kids playing with stuff, he said, ‘I have to get out of here.’”
With persistence, Beppu eventually managed to bring her family, including Dylan and his two younger sisters, now 10 and 5, to get a portrait with Santa.
“It was a humorous outcome,” she said. “It made for a very interesting picture.”
Autism, a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life, affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Children with autism can have a difficult time dealing with the crowds at gatherings and parties, which can cause anxiety. Flashing lights or musical decorations can create additional discomfort, while others might not like to be hugged by well-meaning relatives.
“Every child is going to be different,” said Beppu.
A growing number of “sensory-friendly” events are being organized to take the needs of children with autism into account.
Both Pearlridge Center and Windward Mall host Sensitive Santa events amid lower lighting and quieter surroundings. The Honolulu Theatre for Youth debuted sensory-friendly performances last year, and has one scheduled for its “Rudolf’s Reindeer Games and Other Holiday Surprises” that includes an American Sign Language interpreter.
Artistic director Eric Johnson said that during these performances, more theater seats are left open so that the space is not as crowded, some of the house lights stay on, and any startling moments that involve flashing lights or loud noise are presented in a more subdued fashion.
“They’re not incredibly hard changes to make,” he said. “Sometimes the families feel that their children are disturbing or distracting the performers at a live event. As far as our theater goes, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Our actors love that there’s a connection being made, and we love families feeling welcome.”
The Autism Society of Hawaii offers several events leading up to the holidays, according to Executive Director Jessica Wong-Sumida. Besides Surfers Healing, an annual Waikiki surf camp in November for children with autism, there is the Aloha Winter Ball, which took place Saturday at the Pacific Beach Hotel.
A few times a year, the society partners with a movie theater to offer a sensory-friendly film. The volume is softer, and there’s an acceptance of quirky “stimming,” repetitive movements such as rocking, spinning or flapping. Families are also welcome to bring special snacks that satisfy their child’s dietary restrictions.
“We’re trying to reach out more,” said Wong-Sumida. “We’re continually trying to partner with businesses and communities. The rate for autism continues to increase.”
Approximately 1 in 68 children in the United States are affected by autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disorder is more common in boys: 1 in 42 have autism, compared with 1 in 189 girls.
Delta Airlines recently started offering families a chance to conduct a “practice run” that includes going through the security line, walking to a gate and boarding. Many children with autism need repetition and practice to adapt to the airport environment before attempting a trip.
Dennis Maher, an Autism Society of Hawaii board member whose son has autism, said these sensory-friendly events can make a huge difference. He knows a family that attended the Delta practice run before making a trip to Kauai for the first time in years.
He remembers when his son, Spencer, now 13, would have violent meltdowns at the mall while holiday shopping. Since then Spencer has learned to verbalize his anxiety. What Maher remembers most are the looks he got from other parents who didn’t understand what was going on.
“If we can impact just one family and they can go on a trip … or for once a child can sit on Santa’s lap and have a picture taken, it’s all worthwhile,” he said.
Beppu, the Honolulu mother, has found her own techniques that work for Dylan. At a party, for instance, she keeps headphones and a certain kind of lullaby music handy, as well as an iPad with a game her son can focus on. She and her husband always take separate cars so that if there’s a meltdown, one of them can go home while the other stays.
Beppu wishes there had been more sensory-friendly events when Dylan was younger but is pleased there is growing awareness.
“We’re so happy to see now that families have this as an option, because it brings back the holidays without that high anxiety attached to it,” she said.
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SENSORY-FRIENDLY EVENTS
Reservations are required; contact the Autism Society of Hawaii at autismhi@gmail.com or visit autismsocietyofhawaii.org:
>> “Rudolf’s Reindeer Games and Other Holiday Surprises”: Honolulu Theatre for Youth presents an interactive and improv-inspired holiday play with a sensory-friendly, American Sign Language-interpreted performance at 2 p.m. Saturday, Tenney Theatre, 229 Queen Emma Square.
>> Look I Am Flying!: Delta Airlines and the Autism Society of Hawaii offers “practice” taking a trip. Families will go through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, walk through the airport and view an airplane cockpit. 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Honolulu Airport, Lobby 7. Limited to 15 children with one adult chaperone.
>> Sensitive Santa: Pearlridge Uptown at Pearlridge Center, 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday. (Reservation deadline has passed; call Nikkirae Padilla at 203-2366 or email nikkirae.padilla@wpglimcher.com for availability.) Windward Mall, 9 to 10 a.m. Sunday. Expressions Portrait Design is offering families a complimentary 4-by-6-inch print, with other packages starting at $25.
>> “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”: Screening at 2 p.m. Dec. 19 at Regal Prince Kuhio, Hilo.
