Success StoryCampbell County Community Collaborates to offer Sensory Santa at Alexandria Fairgrounds
Campbell County Community Collaborates to offer Sensory Santa at Alexandria Fairgrounds
Author: Michelle Simon
Planning Unit: Campbell County CES
Major Program: Equine
Plan of Work: Agriculture and Natural Resource Education - Equine Education
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
In today’s fast paced society there are many festivities that the majority of the population enjoy and take for granted. County fairs, festivals, christmas light shows, the list goes on and on. All children and adults want to enjoy these festivities but to some people the lights, noise and amount of people can be extremely uncomfortable due to the overstimulation. According to Austism Speaks, 1 in 31 children are affected by Austism in the United States. Communities make special efforts to accommodate physical disabilities but often it is more difficult to make sensory sensitive accommodations. In an effort to accommodate Campbell County’s sensory-sensitive youth, Sensory Santa, came to life. For the third year in a row, Campbell County ANR Agent collaborated with Chelsea McNichols, Extension District Board member and Occupational Therapist, to offer the Sensory Santa program at the Alexandria Fairgrounds. This program is a wonderful opportunity for differently-abled youth to expereince holiday festivities with their families and get their pictures with Santa for holiday cards. This entire event is planned to be accomodating for youth that are sensitive to over-stimulation by noise, light and activity. The Campbell County ANR Agent partnered with Milestones Therapeutic Riding Center, Trish Kremer, and the Northern Kentucky Horse Network to have Milestone’s therapeutic ponies at the event for the participants to groom and interact with the ponies and experience the benefits of hippotherapy. Other organizations including 4H, Campbell County public library, therapy dogs, ball pits, KTL therapy and a local bakery all pitched in and provided holiday related activities for the 60 participants and their families to enjoy. While the youth interacted with the ponies, Campbell County ANR Agent used a polaroid camera to get candid photos to accommodate the families and their specific needs and situations that they could take home to remember the wonderful event. Several of the participants were current patients at Milestones but additional families signed up to get their children involved at Milestones after experiencing the positive results at the Sensory Santa event. This event is a wonderful community opportunity that provdies a unique experience for youth and has grown in attendance numbers each year in addition to growing the list of community partners contributing to the effort.
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