Now and then, we come across regular folk who do exceptional things that restore our faith in humanity.

This emotional post was shared on Facebook a couple of years ago, but it melts my heart every time I see it – so why not spread it forward?

It’s about a dad who talks about the day when a girl suddenly came into his office and asked permission to pop a question to his autistic son.

Children with special needs often just want experiences similar to what any child their age might want. Finding a date for a school dance is a high priority for any 17-year-old, so it can be a tough blow to one’s self-confidence if no one agrees to go with them.To go alone – though not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things – can be tantamount to social ruin for a teenager; failure to secure a partner can therefore pose a serious threat to self-confidence.

Some kids can be ultra-sensitive and do not yet have the tools they need to understand everything just yet – this applies even more to children with special needs, such as autism.

The father in this story, Mike Larson, decided to write down what happened when his autistic son, Jon, prepared for his high school prom.