Autistic Oregon teen prompts school to hold separate graduation

GRANTS PASS — A student with autism has been excluded from an Oregon high school's main graduation ceremony, but members of the community are rallying to make sure his separate ceremony is not a quiet affair.

The Daily Courier reports 19-year-old Caleb Maler is getting his diploma at a ceremony two hours before the main event at Grants Pass High School. The school was concerned that possible behavioral outbursts might be disruptive.

The teen's father recently expressed disappointment that only three people beyond immediate family had committed to attending the separate graduation. But a big, supportive crowd is now expected after a friend of the family posted about the situation on Facebook.

Grants Pass principal Ryan Thompson says there are actually two special ceremonies before the regular ceremony Friday night. He declined to provide details, but said singling out students has been done in the past, for medical and behavioral reasons.

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