Children with special needs were treated to unique Halloween event at Calgary’s Southcentre Mall on Sunday that is calmer and easier to handle than the big event on October 31.
Officials at the shopping centre say it’s the only event in the city where parents of children with sensory difficulties like autism can sign up and bring their child to have fun and collect some treats.
Michelle Noble, the guest experience manager at Southcentre, says they began offering the event, called A Special Time for Halloween, after a parent called them to see if they could accommodate for her child.
“We thought about how we do our Santa program for children with special needs and decided to do this event on the Sunday when the mall was closed. It’s really quiet in here, the lights are down to it provides a safe, secure environment.”
Southcentre started small at first, with only about 50 families attending the event, but now it’s grown to accommodate 300 children and their families.
Volunteers are a key part of the event and Noble says there isn’t any shortage of people wanting to help out.
“We get volunteers from the U of C and their programs there. We also get volunteers from the community; the local community and from Cystic Fibrosis and Autism Calgary.”
Julie Foley, the director of Autism Calgary, says it’s important to offer a safe and secure environment to children with special needs so that they can enjoy the holiday too.
“There’s some children who have sensory issues, some children who would have difficulty with being very close to strangers or being asked questions [other who are] not really sure about how to enter somebody else’s house.”
For a child with sensory issues, Halloween can often be a very difficult season to handle, Foley says.
“Sometimes decorations, sounds, the other children around them, just those barriers can be very challenging for the child, their parents and siblings. So, this is an extra place before Halloween children can come and enjoy themselves and get some candies and can see some Halloween decorations.”
She adds that it can also help them develop some skills they need later in life.
“It’s a place where they can get a little bit of a preview and get an idea of what that would look like and getting them ready for the real trick or treating. This event is a really safe place to start.”
Noble says that it’s important for Southcentre Mall to hold events like this because they are a part of the community.
“We’ve been here for almost 50 years and we want everyone to feel that this is a welcoming place for them to come and enjoy and that includes everyone. Children are a really important part of our guest experience here.”
Southcentre also offers a Sensory Santa on select Sundays throughout the month of November. For more information you can go to the website.
(With files from Kevin Fleming)
