Santa comforts boy worried autism put him on naughty list

[gpw]

Someone in this house needs to stop chopping the goddamned onions.  

Link

A Santa Claus at a Michigan mall comforted a child with autism who worried his disability would put him on the "naughty list," telling the child "it's OK to be yourself."

A photo shows the Santa at the RiverTown Crossings mall with his arm around 6-year-old Landon as the child leans against him, his head down.

"Amazing experience," Landon's mother, Naomi Johnson, posted on the mall's Facebook page, along with the photo. The mall is south of Grand Rapids.

Johnson said her son went back to the Santa after seeing him with his cousins and told him "sometimes he gets in trouble at school and it's hard for people to understand that he has autism and that he's not a naughty boy."

The Santa told the boy not to worry and that he has been "a very good boy being who he is."

"They sat and chatted for at least five minutes. Santa paid close attention and listened to him," Johnson said. "He opened up to this person about who he was and he was accepted. He wasn't a science experiment, like he gets treated when most people find out he's autistic. He was Landon, sitting with Santa and being told that it was OK to be himself."

After posting the photo to Facebook on Sunday, Johnson said she has received an outpouring of love and support. The photo has received nearly 100,000 likes and more than 30,000 shares.

“There’s actually that magic still there,” Johnson told a local TV station, WXMI. “That’s what everyone wants this year is that magic.”

[elleblue]

[bears]

Sniff.

[CrazyLucky]

There's been so many great Santa stories this year. I also love the one where there was a deaf girl who wasn't too sure about Santa until he started signing with her. I love Christmas.

[ECB]

I'm glad that he got that Santa who handled it so well.

[2doxies]

The Santas have been on point this year!

[simpsongal]

Oh man, there's something in my eye....

[Skyesthelimit1212]

Dec 11, 2015 9:04:14 GMT -5 CrazyLucky said:

There's been so many great Santa stories this year. I also love the one where there was a deaf girl who wasn't too sure about Santa until he started signing with her. I love Christmas.

This...This pushed me over the edge.

[starlily]

The Santas have really stepped up their game this year!

[omgzombies]

Is it dusty in here?

[Deleted]

Sooo many onions. Darn onions! What a wonderful Santa!

[laurenpetro]

Dec 11, 2015 11:50:40 GMT -5 starlily said:

The Santas have really stepped up their game this year!

I love it when people have obviously found their calling.

[WOT?*]

This stuff is why I get sad when kids don't believe in Santa anymore. Because this just proves he is. (heart)

[lyssbobiss, Command, B613]

XH posted this on FB and tagged me in it and I read it at work. Biggest mistake ever. I cried for...a while.

Although, I feel like I can't imagine telling Babycakes he has autism. Mostly because I don't know that it would really mean anything to him, and I also think it would take higher level functioning for him to absorb that information and then feel compelled to tell Santa he was different as well. No judgment here - just an parenting choice I haven't considered making.

[laurenpetro]

Dec 11, 2015 15:27:39 GMT -5 lyssbobiss, Command, B613 said:

XH posted this on FB and tagged me in it and I read it at work. Biggest mistake ever. I cried for...a while.

Although, I feel like I can't imagine telling Babycakes he has autism. Mostly because I don't know that it would really mean anything to him, and I also think it would take higher level functioning for him to absorb that information and then feel compelled to tell Santa he was different as well. No judgment here - just an parenting choice I haven't considered making.

I think there was an episode of Parenthood about this. I remember my FB blowing up (in a good way) when it aired.

[hopecounts]

Dec 11, 2015 15:27:39 GMT -5 lyssbobiss, Command, B613 said:

XH posted this on FB and tagged me in it and I read it at work. Biggest mistake ever. I cried for...a while.

Although, I feel like I can't imagine telling Babycakes he has autism. Mostly because I don't know that it would really mean anything to him, and I also think it would take higher level functioning for him to absorb that information and then feel compelled to tell Santa he was different as well. No judgment here - just an parenting choice I haven't considered making.

I think it depends on the presentation.
DD is aware that she is different and certain things are harder for her (which is why she works with Mr./Ms. X for Y) and frankly has heard the A word plenty with attending her school and may or may not 'get' the definition but gets that it applies to her.

[MixedBerryJam]

Oh my heavens. Between this story, the little girl who wants Christmas cards, and a local story about a pedi brain tumor patient who a year ago played a concert at the hospital with her doctors right before surgery and this year played again (breathtakingly beautifully) my cold hard heart is permanently thawed. I'm ruined!

Watch last year's concert here.

News story about this year's concert here. 

[compassrose]

This melts my heart. Poor baby, thinking he's naughty.