Autistic Student Is Having A Bad Day So Assistant Principal Gets Down On The Ground To Comfort Him

Oct 17, 2019 by apost team

An assistant principal went above and beyond the call of duty when he got down on the sidewalk with a student who was having a challenging day.

LJ is a third-grade student at Garfield Elementary in Marion, Ohio. He happens to have both Down Syndrome and autism. Despite his infectious personality and outgoing spirit, LJ can get down when life gets hard, like all of us.

LJ's mother, Steph Compton, told WCMH that she takes her son to Garfield because of the supportive staff and environment that help her son to thrive, despite his challenges.

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This support was demonstrated recently when LJ felt discouraged and laid down on the sidewalk out of exhaustion when his bus was late. While RJ was lying defeated on the sidewalk, an assistant principal named Mr. Smith laid down on the ground with the student. As a student aide at Garfield, Amber McKinniss noticed the sweet interaction that touched her so much that she just had to take a picture of it.

When Steph Compton posted the picture on Facebook, McKinniss commented on it, saying that everyone's hearts melted when they saw the sweet interaction between the new assistant principal and LJ. Rather than scold him or tell him to get up, Smith simply laid down with LJ to get down on his level and let him know that he was not alone.

The picture showed Compton once again that Garfield is definitely the right place for her son. “It’s really awesome to know from a parent’s standpoint, that there are people that care that much about your child," she told WCMH.

It's encouraging to know that there are such sensitive and caring people out there in the world. Are you touched by the interaction as well? Leave a comment below and be sure to show this picture to your friends and family.