My sweet nephew Joseph has autism and spends much of the school day in an self-contained classroom. My sister got a letter from his school this week. Apparently, he is not welcome to fully participate with the rest of his kindergarten class for graduation. Instead, the school has said he can greet people at the door (but not actually be part of graduation ceremony). My sister suggested previously that an aide sit with him so he can be taken out if he becomes overstimulated (as children who have autism often do) or that he use his specialized stroller; with an aide, he would be able to be a part of the celebration but wouldn't create a huge distraction of it became overwhelming for him. It looks like the school decided it would just be easier to exclude the special needs child altogether. What a shame that the children there are learning how NOT to celebrate differences and include everyone! Joseph should be allowed to celebrate his successes in school just as much as the other children!