Autistic Teen Asked to Prom as Prank Ends Up Having Best Night Ever

Clay Heald, who was originally asked to the prom as a joke, attended the dance with Brittany Oeftreicher. (Photo: Amy Heald)

A nasty high school prank had a happy ending this week when an autistic senior, who was invited to the prom as a joke, ended up having the time of his life.

When Clay Heald, an 18-year-old in Kenwood, Ohio, was asked to his prom earlier this month, he wasn’t sure if he should go. Clay, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, already has a difficult time at school, his mother, Amy Heald, says. “He struggles with social situations,” she tells Yahoo Parenting. “He doesn’t pick up on cues when he’s talking too much, or when he’s talking about something no one is interested in. Plus, the things he’s interested in — gaming, fantasy stories, Legos — are not the things that most 18-year-olds care about.”

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Clay didn’t even know what the prom was, Amy says. So when he came home from Indian Hill High School that day and said a girl in his math class asked him to the big dance, he asked his mom if he should accept the invitation. “We talked about what prom was — that it means dressing up fancy and having flowers and going to dinner,” she says. “He got really excited about it. He said he was going to tell her yes, and I was so excited for him. I never thought in my wildest dreams that he would go to a prom.”

But the next day it seemed Amy’s excitement was for nothing. “When he came home from school I said, ‘so, are you going?’ and he said ‘oh, she said it was just a joke. She only asked me because her friends told her to.’” Amy says Clay didn’t realize he’d been duped, but she was furious. “How could someone do that to a kid they know doesn’t pick up on these cues?” she says. “She did it on purpose to be mean and hurt my son.”

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Clay Heald and his mother, Amy Heald, pose for a photo before Clay’s prom night. (Photo: Amy Heald)

Amy continued to stew over the weekend, so she took to Facebook to vent. After explaining what happened, she made a public appeal. “Please, let’s get Clay a date for prom,” she wrote. “He deserves to go now that he understands exactly what prom is and wants to go. I would be grateful if you shared this post in hopes of finding him a date. #lilyjames #emmawatson #taylorswift”

The post was shared 143 times, and while Emma Watson and Taylor Swift didn’t come calling, the post caught the attention of radio personality Jenn Jordan, who also has a son with autism. “She called me and said ‘I think I’ve got a date for Clay,’” Amy says. It turns out Jordan knew a senior at another high school whose brother is also on the autism spectrum, and she jumped at the chance to be Clay’s date.

So Clay and Amy met Brittany Oeftreicher to see if a prom was in their future. “She was friendly and kind and gentle as can be,” Amy says. “She has that vibe where you just instantly love her.” Jordan also got local businesses to donate all the prom essentials — a tux and dress, hair and makeup for Brittany, flowers, a limo and tickets to the dance.

On Saturday, Clay and Oeftreicher had their big night. Before they headed out in the limo, their families gathered for pictures. “It was an out of body experience,” Amy says. “It was like a fairytale — I couldn’t believe I was living it.” The prom started at 8pm, and Clay stayed the whole night, even attending the after-party, which lasted until 4am, Amy says. For Clay, who is usually very strict about keeping his schedule, that was a big deal. “He even danced a little, which is phenomenal,” she says. “Brittany was amazing with him. She took care of him, made sure he was comfortable and that socially he was ok. He had a blast.”

Amy says she’s incredibly touched by the graciousness and generosity of the community. “All you want for your child is love and acceptance, and for it to start so negatively and end on this note — it’s overwhelming,” she says. And she’s sure the bond with Brittany will last forever. “I can’t imagine not having her in our life anymore. She gave my son a senior prom. She allowed him to do something we never thought would happen.”

Despite the tough beginning, Amy says the entire experience was worth it. “Sometimes you have to have the bad to realize the good,” she says. “It’s easy to forget the goodness in the world, so this was a reality check.”

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