Families with children who have autism grateful for Silent Santa event

For Amanda Evans' son Tyler, the December tradition of visiting a mall for a picture with Santa can be a stressful ordeal.

"He doesn't understand to just sit and get his picture taken with Santa," she said.

Tyler, 4, has autism. For him, Sunday's Silent Santa event at Regina's Cornwall Centre was exactly what the family needed.

"This was nice to have a ten minute slot. We don't feel so rushed," said Amanda Evans.

The event is a partnership between the mall and the Autism Resource Centre (ARC). Families could come in and get Santa pictures in a sensory-friendly environment for children with autism.

It happened before the mall was open so there weren't any crowds. The mall music was turned off and ARC worked with both Santa and the photographer beforehand to make the experience for the kids and parents a good one.

Evans said that these photos are memories that will last a lifetime, so to have a painless experience at the mall was great.

"It's everything to us," she said, adding that events like Silent Santa can help raise awareness about autism and sensory difficulty.

"[These kids] might not get this opportunity if it weren't for things like this."

Keely Wight, executive director of ARC, said Saturday's event was a hit with families.

"The families who have already got their photos taken with Santa this morning are very appreciative and happy to be able to have this opportunity," she said.

There was such a high demand to visit Silent Santa that all the 10-minute slots were filled and some families had to be put on a waitlist.