Too many times she’s seen parents pulling their kids away from her beaming 8-year-old Cayden in the playground because he’s different.

The little boy, who loves to clap his hands with excitement, is on the low end of the autism spectrum.

“I believe in inclusion, I don’t believe separating our kids from typical kids because there’s a lot more they could learn from watching each other, and the typical kids learn to accept disabilities by watching kids like Cayden,” Ms Grasovac said.

This Thursday Cayden will get to dance, clap and sing like no-one’s watching at the annual KidzWish Christmas Party.

It’s the second time Ms Grasovac’s son will be part of the charity event for children who are sick, disadvantaged or have a disability, and it’s a place their family feels “accepted”.

“Cayden did go to school for one year but we pulled him out and decided to home school him. That’s when we went to KidzWish for help because we had no support, school was out of the question at that time so we had very limited options and they gave us a speech therapist,” she said.

Through the Foundation the family has found other avenues for Cayden to flourish like sports groups, dancing and new friends, as well as befriending other parents in the same situation.

“It’s trying to find places to take him, because he doesn’t fit in everywhere. We can be accepted [with KidzWish],” Cayden’s father Tony Krstanoski said.

The organisation was founded 16 years ago by Chris Bevan with its first Christmas party only hosting around 300 people.

That number has grown to 4,300 children with a waiting list of more than 1,100, and the cost of putting on the event has also grown to around $250,000.

Mrs Beaven said while they’re building a new services facility because they’re “bursting at the seams” it still breaks her heart that the annual party can’t fit everyone.

She said all facets of the charity always strive to make the “forgotten” children happy and welcome, and be a support to the parents.

“When you see the WIN Entertainment Centre full up with all these children you can’t believe how many … that we have in the Illawarra,” Mrs Beaven said.

“Until you’ve got one you don’t know about them.”

Each child that attends the party will be treated to a free lunch, a visit from Santa, a present, plus other entertainment such as the So Popera production of Beauty and the Beast.

This year’s theme for the charity is “never let them walk alone”.