Mom Dresses Autistic Son in T-Rex Costume for Family Photo Shoot

Eight-year-old Levi Bishop is autistic and adores costumes but isn’t keen on getting his photo taken. In an effort to include Levi in family photos, his mother, Samantha Bishop, got creative.

Samantha, who runs Roaming Magnolias Photography in Georgia, took photos of Levi in a T-Rex costume with his best friend and cousin, Lola, who is five. Samantha told The Mighty Levi loves his “Jurassic World” inspired costume, making it a natural choice for the photo shoot. Thanks to the T-Rex suit, Levi was able to be in his “element” without the need for forced smiles or eye contact with the camera.

“While many people don’t see why his autism or other special needs have anything to do with this shoot, I think many will,” Samantha wrote on Facebook. “This is him in his element. There are no forced smiles, no bribery, no pretend happiness. This is the goofy, hilarious, kindhearted boy I was given.”

Both Levi and his cousin love to dress up, Samantha said.

Every time he sees a new character, he is creating a new costume. From Ghostbusters, to police officers, chefs and lawyers. He spent a week in a top hat after watching The Greatest Showman. If he’s not in some sort of costume, he can almost always be found in a suit and tie.

Samantha wrote that the road to getting the services Levi needs has not been easy, but that she chooses to “celebrate his ‘labels’ and teach him to use them to his advantage rather than see them as an obstacle.”

You can see more of Samantha and Levi’s photoshoot here.