This dad made his own report card to cheer up daughter with autism upset about bad grades

The father of a 10-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder has been praised for his adorable reaction to her school report card, after she became upset by receiving all Ds.

Shane Jackson, who lives on the island state of Tasmania, reported how his daughter, Sophie, cried as she told him she had “let everyone down” with her grades.

“Sophie and my partner were so upset, mainly because she had tried so hard,” Jackson, who is the national president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, told Yahoo7.

Sophie Jackson, second from left, with her brothers Will, 11 and Ben, 13; mom Fiona; and dad Shane. (Photo: Shane Jackson)
Sophie Jackson, second from left, with her brothers Will, 11 and Ben, 13; mom Fiona; and dad Shane. (Photo: Shane Jackson)

Though he told Yahoo7 that “Sophie loves her teacher” and appreciated the support her school gives to its students, Jackson also wanted to lift his daughter’s spirits. He chose to instead grade her on the things he valued outside the standard curriculum.

He made his own report card and awarded his girl either an A or A+ for categories like “imagination, “drawing,” and “best daughter ever.”

He tweeted a picture of the new report card, which has since gone viral.

His tweet was met with more than 1,000 heartfelt messages of support for Sophie and praise for the dad’s creative parenting.

Some responded by saying they would adopt the approach with their own children with autism.

Jackson said the messages on social media left his daughter with a “beaming smile.”

He said it was important to show other children with learning difficulties that they are “not alone.”

Sophie now has her own Twitter account featuring her A-worthy drawings — one of which is a report card for her dear old dad.

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