Lenore Koppelman took her son Ralph, who has autism, to Universal Studios in Orlando for the first time and the kid was beyond excited to get to go on the Spider-Man ride at Islands of Adventure. But when they finally made it to the ride, it broke down and everyone was asked to exit. This is tough news for any eager child, but it was Ralph’s breaking point and he lost it, understandably.
Koppelman writes that when Ralph collapsed on the floor and had a meltdown, full on sobbing, rocking and hyperventilating, a worker named Jen came over and tried to make the little boy feel better. Jen got right down on the floor with him and laid next to him while he let it out. Koppelman says she helped him catch his breath, told people to walk around them so they’d stop standing and staring, and told Ralph “it was okay for him to be sad and feel this way.” Jen stayed until he calmed down and even let him pick out something from the gift shop.