After His Son Wasn't Invited to ANY Parties, This Dad Sent His "Friends" a Heartbreaking Text

Reilly Stephenson is a 6-year-old boy with autism who is also nonverbal. And while his father, Shane, is heartbroken as is with the struggles and judgments his son has had to face, what broke him even more was that his "friends" were not inviting Reilly to any of their kids' parties — so he decided to speak up. Shane texted his group of friends reminding them how incredibly hurtful it is to not be included.

"My son Reilly has autism, not f*cking leprosy," Shane wrote. "He is 6 years old and my so-called friends who have kids also have kids' parties. Not ONE invite, not f*cking one."

Reilly's mom, Christine, runs the blog The Life of Reilly, where the two parents write about their son's struggles in an effort to make families of children with autism understand that they are absolutely not alone. Their main goal is to "make people less judgmental."

It's so painful for some parents of children with special needs to witness how their children struggle socially, but Shane hoped that his friends would be able to help his son feel just a little less excluded. Christine and Shane could turn down an invitation if they thought Reilly wouldn't be OK at the party, but as always, it's the thought that counts, and in the case of Shane's friends, there was no thought.

In this text message, Shane reminded his friends that this shouldn't mean they should start inviting Reilly because they feel bad. "Just for the record, in the future don't bother," he wrote. "He's not an afterthought, he's my every f*cking thought."

And while Shane's friends didn't have the heart to invite his son to their parties, the outpouring on social media will warm your heart. Reilly is absolutely not the only child to be excluded from birthday parties, and parents are praising Shane for saying what they wish they could. Check out some of the reactions below, and remember, a little inclusiveness can go a long way.