The kindness of a primary school principal has left the family of an autistic student overjoyed.
Farmer and father-of-two Jason Uden posted a photo on his Twitter account Tuesday morning of a letter sent home with his son Cam, 10, by Maihiihi Primary principal Glenn Macphearson.
The note read: "Cam, I have been very impressed with your attitude and development since you started here at Maihihii.
"You are like our overseas pro, you offer our school so much in many different ways. This little gift is future focused. It will not fit you now but when it does I would like you to look me up and come and tell me what career path you have chosen. I am guessing it will be something to do with technology, maybe computer programming or game design. Maybe even a job that doesn't exist yet."
Jason Uden captioned the photo: "Maihiihi Primary have adopted our quirky son who has Autism with such love and acceptance. This came home today. #speechless #autism"
The letter from 'Mr Mac' was accompanied by a t-shirt signed by Northern District cricketer Ben Laughlin.
Mr Uden, a big fan of the team with its insignia tattooed on his shoulder, was blown away by the gesture.
He said that Mr Macphearson spends his lunchtimes not in the staffroom, but out on the field hitting a ball around with the students.
"He makes sure all the kids are included [and] Cam gets a chance to bat and bowl".
Mr Uden said that he and his wife Wendy always had concerns about Cam's schooling. The 10-year-old had been to 5 primary schools before settling into Maihiihi, which had been "magnificent".
"He's had plenty of lonely days in the holidays and lonely days at school, but the kids have welcomed him in."
He said that the school demonstrated how well autistic children can fit into a normal schooling environment.
Describing how the world works for his son, Mr Uden explained "You and I are PCs, kids with autism are Apple [macs]. The end effect can be quite stunning, but it's just an entire different operating system".
"We live with Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory."
Mr Uden says that Mr Mac is "a humble man" and would not like all the attention, but for he and his wife, it's important to recognise the man who has changed their lives.
Mr Macpheasron told Fairfax: "It can be tough for kids like Cam in the education system. Autistic kids do find their place in the world, but it can take them a bit longer."
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