A beautiful interaction between Santa and a little boy with autism

THIS little boy told Santa he had autism, because he was worried he’d end up on the “naughty” list. The response he got will restore your faith in humanity.

‘It’s okay to be you’

HE said he wanted a Wii, a toy dinosaur and a remote control car for Christmas.

But after his heartwarming interaction with this Santa Claus, six-year-old Landon Johnson received a far more meaningful early Christmas present.

Last week, Johnson went to see Santa with this cousins at Rivertown Crossings Shopping Mall in Michigan. Like any other excited kid, he ran Santa through his Christmas wishlist and was on his way.

But a moment later Johnson came back, remembering he had something else he needed to say.

He wanted Santa to know he has autism.

He told Santa that having autism bothers him, because it gets him into trouble at school and people have a hard time understanding his condition. He was worried he would end up on Santa’s “naughty” list, and wanted him to know he really was a good kid.

Santa’s response?

“It’s okay to be you.”

In a Facebook post that’s gone viral, Johnson’s mum Naomi shared the beautiful reaction in full.

“Santa told L to not worry and that he has been a very good boy being who he is. They sat, and chatted for at least five minutes. Santa payed (sic) close attention and listened to him. He wasn’t a science experiment, like he gets treated when most people find out he autistic. He was Landon, sitting with Santa and being told that it was OK to be himself.”

I had an AMAZING experience w the Santa at the RiverTown Crossings Mall and I want to share my story with you:My child...

Posted by Naomi Johnson on Sunday, December 6, 2015

Since the post went up, the mall’s Facebook page has since been flooded with messages of praise for the Santa.

Johnson’s mum later told Today.com about the moving experience.

“This stranger in a red suit told my son the same message I’ve been trying to get through to him for a while now — that he’s special and I love him just the way he was made,” she told Today.com.

“Seeing Landon’s face light up in that moment was just incredible. I couldn’t stop crying.”

It’s little things like this that really restore your faith in humanity.

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects around one in 100 Australians. It primarily affects how the individual relates to people around them, and how they interact with their environment.