Santa knows everything about all the little boys and girls that come to see him. He knows if they’ve been good, or if they’ve been naughty. For one six-year-old little boy, that was quite a concern.

Landon has autism, and sometimes he gets told by people that he’s being naughty. So when Landon got to sit down with Santa at the RiverTown Crossing Mall in Michigan, he was worried about sharing his list with Santa. Of course, just like other kids, he had a list full of goodies that he wanted. A Wii, remote control toys, and more were included on his list. Santa listened patiently as Landon shared his list with him.

Then as Landon was walking away from Santa, he turned back around and went to tell Santa about his autism. Santa was shocked to have such a young boy share this kind of detail with him. A bit surprised, Santa asked Landon why he was sharing this with him, to which Landon replied, because some people tell me that I shouldn’t be so naughty. Santa didn’t hesitate to set Landon straight.

He explained that he and the reindeer love him and that Landon is a good boy. Upon hearing this, Landon immediately calmed down and Santa explained something very special to him.

Naomi, Landon’s mom, said he has been trying to explain this same thing to her son for years, but he would never listen. Santa explained that just because he has something wrong mentally doesn’t mean that he’s any worse of a person. He told him he was a good person.

Santa told him, “It’s okay to be you!” And with that, Landon’s confidence completely changed. The two spent the next five minutes talking about Landon and how amazing the Christmas season is.

Naomi says that Santa is on a very special list this year. He’s on the list of people that have made a huge difference along their autism journey. She says his compassion was unmatched and really showed Landon that he cared.

Check out the video below to learn more about Landon’s story and be sure to share it with your family and friends.