CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — La Palmera Mall is hosting Quiet Time with Santa on Sundays during the Holidays.
It is a sensory-friendly opportunity for people who want to meet with Santa in a calm environment. The experience has no background music or crowds, which is a contrast to how busy the mall can be during the day.
"It's very important for other people to have this experience, cause we all got to learn how to interact with other people and be out in the public," said Dustin Cronan, an adult living with autism.
Dustin and his 3-year-old son Matthew, who also has autism, got quality time with Santa on Sunday. He said taking pictures in that setting helped Matthew remain calm and become more comfortable around other kids.
"It's very sensory-friendly because we get to teach him, you know, how to talk to Santa. He'll learn how to talk, like tell him what he wants for Christmas," Cronan said.
Dustin said it can sometimes be difficult to bring Matthew to the mall during regular hours. Since he was born around when COVID-19 started, his interaction with others was limited. He said events like these can help him get along well with people in public places.
"He'll kind of learn how to interact and I think it's important that having that interaction, too, with people and then he'll get used to being around other people," Cronan said.
An advocate for autism awareness, Dustin said Quiet Time with Santa is important for people with special needs to have this experience. He plans to do it again in the future and said he enjoyed seeing his son learn the important part of this time of year.
"What Christmas is all about, you know, sharing and giving," Cronan said.
Dustin remains active in the community promoting autism awareness. He plans to meet with Corpus Christi Police Department and Aransas Pass Police Department this month.
There is still one more opportunity to experience Quiet Time with Santa and you need reservations. It runs from 9-11 a.m. next Sunday at La Palmera Mall.