St. Nick made an extra special visit to Higgins Middle School last Wednesday during the Peabody Special Education Parent’s Advisory Council’s (SEPAC) Sensory Santa event.
Sensory Santa gave families the opportunity to sign up for 10 minute time slots to meet and take pictures with Kris Kringle in a calm and controlled environment.
This is especially important for children where the normal setting of Santa meetings in a crowded and noisy mall leads to more anxiety than it does Christmas cheer. The stress of these situations means holiday fun becomes less accessible to neurodivergent children.
This is where SEPAC, which is a part of the Peabody Public Schools Special Education Department, decided to step in and organize a way for all children to experience the joy of meeting Father Christmas.
According to Special Education Director Shannon Crompton, SEPAC is a parent advisor group run by volunteers that are voted in to work with the department.
“The SEPAC works in conjunction with the district to provide information regarding things they are finding with families or the district,” Crompton said. “They bring that to the Director of Special Education or the School Committee to share that information and work together to build a stronger program.
Other events the group has organized include a parent information fair that provides an opportunity for families to learn about special education from specialists like speech therapists.
Of course, they also schedule sensory events, which Crompton said means, “not a lot of noise, more individualized noise … It’s a more relaxed atmosphere than standing in line at the mall or going to a large gathering.”
Additional sensory activities include movie screenings and trips to Chuck E. Cheese. All events that work toward allowing children with specialized needs to have fun that is safe and engaging.
SEPAC believes moments like sitting on Santa Claus’ lap and sharing what presents you’re wishing for or decorating ornaments and elves with a new friend you just met are experiences that every child deserves to have. With a little Christmas magic, this dream becomes a jubilant reality.
