Northfield, NJ Mom Creates Haunted House for Son With Autism
Northfield's Lisa DeMario was looking for something her 10-year-old autistic son, Jason, would enjoy doing, and that led her to create a haunted house at their Elder Street home.
Mom Turns Home Into a Haunted House for Some with Autism
Lisa knew that Jason's autism had caused issues with fitting in and socializing. He wasn't able to play sports or participate in other activities popular with kids his age.
But Jason had always loved Halloween and collected animatronics and decorations designed for haunted attractions and parties.
After holding Halloween parties for Jason and his friends at the house, Lisa turned to creating a haunted house at their home where neighbors could walk through and see Jason's prized Halloween animatronics.
The family's very own haunted house has become an annual event. This year's theme is Halloween in New Orleans.
Bonding Around a Haunted House
Lisa soon realized the benefits of the haunted house for Jason.
It helps him socialize with other kids in the neighborhood, it helps him understand the importance of working and money, and he's doing something that he loves by being creative and making a Halloween display to show everybody.
Even planning the theme and layout of the haunted house has served as a bonding experience for mother and son.
Jason and I sit down, right now we're even discussing what theme we think would be fun for next year, we kind of sit down and go through a plan.
It definitely helps us bond, with me being interested in something he likes and making something creative and maybe a future plan for his career.
Visiting Hours For Jason's Haunted House
You are invited to visit Jason's haunted house on Saturdays in October, between 1:30 and 5 pm at 400 Elder Street in Northfield. Admission is $3.
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