Being
the parent of a teenager isn’t easy, what with keeping up with the trends,
dealing with mood swings and trying to discipline your growing child while
letting them have their independence. But when your teenager son has autism as
well, life can be very complicated and difficult.
That’s
why when this dad shared a story about his autistic son, Jon, and his prom
date, it really touched our hearts. Read what he has to say below:
“This
is my son Jon with his prom date Maddie. He is a junior and he has autism.
About a month ago, Maddie, a senior, came to my office (I’m a teacher at their
school) and asked if Jon’s mom and I would allow her to take him to prom.
Maddie had gotten to know Jon through a school club that promotes friendships
between special needs kids and regular kids. ‘He’s a junior,’ she explained ‘so
it’s his prom too. I just think he should have the chance to go.’ I told her we
would be honored to have him go with her.
During
the next couple weeks, she asked what his favorite color was (orange) so she
could get a dress in that color. She also made reservations for their group
(they doubled with another couple) at a restaurant that served his favorite
food – chicken fingers and French fries.
I
encourage everyone to like and share this for three reasons:
1.
To show support for special kids like Jon
2.
To show support for groups that promote these friendships
3.
To remind us all, in a time when we hear about all the terrible things going
on, that there are wonderful kids like Maddie working to make other’s lives
better.”
Dad
shares that watching his son at prom was a dream come true: “It’s something I
never thought would happen for our family, and not only did it happen, but it’s
happened in such a beautiful way. … It will be one of the nicest memories of
our lives.”
Share this with your friends and family today!
Source
: upmoments.com