CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Children with special needs met Santa Claus Sunday at Northlake Mall.
Northlake Mall held a special event called "Soothing Santa" that allows children living with autism to take pictures with Santa and pass along their wish list before the mall opened.
That meant a quiet environment and no crowds, which families said is important for kids with special needs.
"It's a huge blessing because there's a lot of environments and things we're not always able to go to, and this allows us to do things that are quite normal as a family,” said Kathy Lavergne, a mother of one of the special needs kids.
Northlake Mall partnered with Autism Speaks for the event.
Thirty-nine families participated.