In a child’s young mind, even the tiniest of problems can be a major cause of panic and stress. And if the child has special needs, this stressful event can even become more complicated and difficult to process.
This is what happened that day to 8-year-old LJ Compton from Ohio. The little boy has Down syndrome and is on the autism spectrum, which made it hard for him to process his emotions especially during moments of stress.
LJ’s mother, Steph Compton, knew that there were other schools where her son could attend, some even nearer to their home. However, she chose to drive a bit further to Garfield Elementary School in Marion, Ohio because of the great care and attention that the staff is consistently providing to her son.
She says that her son is a cheerful boy who always had a smile on his face. But, sometimes, a meltdown cannot be avoided given the child’s ability to process complex emotions and difficulties with handling stressful situations.
That day at school was one of those days where the boy found himself at a tailspin. Little LJ was quite stressed out when his afternoon bus arrived late. He did not know how to hold his feelings together and ended up lying on the ground out of stress, frustration and panic.
At that moment, one member of the school teaching force came to the rescue and did what he had to do to get through to LJ and make him feel comfortable and loved. It was an incredible thing to witness and people who got to see the interaction between student and teacher while laying on the school ground could not help but share the amazing incident on social media.
Steph had no idea of what happened until she found his son’s photo on Facebook through a post made by Amber McKinnis, a student aide, showing the extraordinary exchange that took place while her little boy and a male teacher were both lying on the ground.
“I just had to snap a picture. It was the most amazing thing I’ve seen!” Amber said on her Facebook post.
In the photo, LJ can be seen lying on the ground next to a man whose also stretched out on the pavement like he was just chilling out on a bed and not on concrete. He was clearly talking to the little boy who seemed to be closed in and was having a stressful moment.
The man is none other than John Smith, a long time teacher and the new assistant principal at Garfield Elementary School. When he saw that little LJ was having a meltdown, he did not hesitate to get to the ground and reach out to the kid even if it meant he had to get dirt on his clothes in the process.
The photo went viral and soon after, people online were commenting positively about the incident and is commending the assistant principal for the way he handled the situation. The school also received positive remarks for the superb care and attention provided to every child.
These kinds of response is what strengthens Steph’s decision of driving a bit further for her son’s education. A few more minutes of traveling won’t matter if this is the kind of care and love that surrounds her little boy at school where she can not always be around.
“It’s really awesome to know from a parent’s standpoint that there are people that care that much about your child,” she said.
The school definitely showed how dedicated they are in providing a loving environment where children are loved and cared for. John Smith did not hesitate for a moment when he saw LJ’s urgent need for support and assurance, and did whatever it took to get through to the little boy. He is nothing short of inspiring and we can all learn a lot from his amazing devotion to the students.
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