COEUR d’ALENE — Being in a busy shopping center to see Santa Claus can be overwhelming for kids and their parents.

For some children, especially those on the autism spectrum, a traditional visit to see Santa Claus results in sensory overload.

That's why Panhandle Autism Society held its first "sensory Santa" event on Sunday, to give those easily-overwhelmed little ones an opportunity to whisper their Christmas wishes in St. Nick's ear, without any long waits or unnecessary stress.

"They didn't have to wait in line, which is a really difficult thing for kids on the spectrum," Panhandle Autism Society board president Jennifer Cork said Monday. "Our Santa sat and let the kids come to him on their terms. We also had Santa in a separate room so there was no one there but Santa, Mrs. Claus, a volunteer and the family."

Held in the PAS headquarters in the Harding Center at 411 N. 15th St. in Coeur d'Alene, the sensory-friendly event welcomed 12 families and nearly 30 kids to visit with Santa during 15-minute appointments. The families were also welcome to stay to build graham cracker houses and decorate ornaments in a craft area.

"Watching some of these kids I knew personally, some of these kids had never been that close to Santa, never had the opportunity to go because they were too scared in the malls that are too overwhelming," said PAS vice president Cait Christensen, who coordinated the day with good friend and PAS supporter Jackie Stallings. "It was a phenomenal day, it really was."

Many times, autism is accompanied by sensory sensitivities that cause an over-responsiveness or under-responsiveness to stimuli including sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, balance and body awareness.

Christensen, who has children on the spectrum, said these events have been in the news a lot lately, so she researched what accommodations could be made for local families so they could have this magical Christmas experience. She gave a shout-out to the Syringa Family Partnership volunteers who helped — Sarah Hughes, Jordan Sage and Talaya Schaum — and to Santa and Mrs. Claus, who all donated their time.

"As a parent myself of two kiddos on the spectrum who still have problems with these situations, I felt honored to be able to serve these families," she said. "These kiddos are 8, 9 years old. Some of them, like this one little girl, she was so terrified, so we would just wait. She sat in a chair next to a chair next to Santa. We would set the 15-minute visual timer so she knew exactly how long she had to visit with Santa. When I went back in there she was sitting in a chair next to Santa, then she was on his lap.

"It was a very emotional, humbling day," Christensen continued. "I was so honored to be able to serve these families, and we will do it again next year."

Infor: www.panhandleautismsociety.com