Boy holds hand of crying classmate with autism on first day of school

The first day back at school is nerve-wracking for every child. Loads of other kids running around screaming, filled with a mixture of excitement and terror - it's carnage.

So when little Christian Moore, eight, saw Connor Crites alone, crying, he rushed over to make sure he was ok, holding his hand before heading off to class together.

What Christian didn't know at the time, however, was that his new pal had autism. Overwhelmed with everything that was going on at Minneha Elementary School in Kansas, he struggled to take it all in.

Connor says his new buddy's kindness helped him overcome his first-day nerves and the pair of LADs are now well on their way to being best friends forever.

He said: "He was kind to me. I was in the first day of school and I started crying then he helped me and I was happy. He found me and held my hand and I got happy tears."

Speaking to KAKE, Christian's mum Courtney said her little boy just wanted to make Connor feel better and later shared the touching story in a Facebook page.

She said: "I saw him on the ground with Connor as Connor was crying in the corner and he was consoling him.

"He grabs his hand and walks him to the front door. He waited until the bell rang and he walked him inside of the school. The rest is history. They have an inseparable bond."

Connor's mum April Crites says she is often worried about how others will see and treat her son but was over the moon with the new friendship.

She said: "I fear every day that someone is going to laugh at him because he doesn't speak correctly, or laugh at him because he doesn't sit still or because he jumps up and down and flaps his hands."

Looking back at the heartwarming moment, Courtney says she thinks others could learn a thing or two from their little boys.

The proud mum added: "It doesn't matter the colour, it doesn't matter gender, it doesn't matter the disability, and it doesn't matter anything, just be kind, open your heart... it's what we need in this world.

"One act of kindness can change someone's life, can change the world. That's all it takes."