Lilicat
Mother of two boys
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- Jun 9, 2009
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I promised an update when William saw Father Christmas this year and now I have an update to give.
For those who don't know in another thread (I can't actually remember which one!) I mentioned the Father Christmas we visit every year at the library. William is autistic with global developmental delay and severe speech and language delay so he isn't the easiest child to do a Father Christmas visit with.
On the first year we went to see Father Christmas William was non verbal, he wouldn't look at him or even seem to notice he was there. He just loved the fairy lights.
Father Christmas got the lights down from the top of the grotto to show William and sat on the floor with him to interact with him. He even used Makaton to help William understand.
From then on William loved him, that Father Christmas and only that Father Christmas. When he sees him he vibrates with excitement and can't stop smiling. He doesn't want a present or even really understand the concept he just wants to sit next to Father Christmas.
This year was no different, he was so excited when he went in. Waiting his turn was a bit of a challenge and he tried to crawl under some library bookshelves to get in quicker
Father Christmas remembered him from last year and made a huge fuss of him, William was just so delighted.
The other great part wasn't even with William but with Thomas. Thomas is scared of strangers, really scared. He gets upset and doesn't calm down for ages, nothing will appease him. I thought we would get a crying picture of him with Father Christmas then he would have to be taken out.
We went in and he predictably started crying but with a small milky bar bribe he calmed down and decided he really liked Father Christmas and like his brother he liked trying to take down the fairy lights.
I have never seen him do that, he doesn't do strangers and once he freaks out it just gets worse till you take him out of the situation no matter what you offer him.
Sometimes I think our library Father Christmas might be the real thing. He is certainly the real spirit of Christmas and a wonderful person.
For those who don't know in another thread (I can't actually remember which one!) I mentioned the Father Christmas we visit every year at the library. William is autistic with global developmental delay and severe speech and language delay so he isn't the easiest child to do a Father Christmas visit with.
On the first year we went to see Father Christmas William was non verbal, he wouldn't look at him or even seem to notice he was there. He just loved the fairy lights.
Father Christmas got the lights down from the top of the grotto to show William and sat on the floor with him to interact with him. He even used Makaton to help William understand.
From then on William loved him, that Father Christmas and only that Father Christmas. When he sees him he vibrates with excitement and can't stop smiling. He doesn't want a present or even really understand the concept he just wants to sit next to Father Christmas.
This year was no different, he was so excited when he went in. Waiting his turn was a bit of a challenge and he tried to crawl under some library bookshelves to get in quicker
Father Christmas remembered him from last year and made a huge fuss of him, William was just so delighted.
The other great part wasn't even with William but with Thomas. Thomas is scared of strangers, really scared. He gets upset and doesn't calm down for ages, nothing will appease him. I thought we would get a crying picture of him with Father Christmas then he would have to be taken out.
We went in and he predictably started crying but with a small milky bar bribe he calmed down and decided he really liked Father Christmas and like his brother he liked trying to take down the fairy lights.
I have never seen him do that, he doesn't do strangers and once he freaks out it just gets worse till you take him out of the situation no matter what you offer him.
Sometimes I think our library Father Christmas might be the real thing. He is certainly the real spirit of Christmas and a wonderful person.
what a wanderful experience
thank you for sharing. Xx
