2020 was a significant year for millions of graduating high school seniors, as some schools right here in South Georgia hosted drive-thru, socially distanced, or virtual ceremonies, while others did not even have a ceremony. But one family remembers that time as a moment their disabled son was excluded from the one event that could define his life. After completing his individualized education plan, 21-year-old Thelonious Stoner, known as Theo, was able to graduate in 2019. “We didn’t know how severe his Autism would be. Theo’s quite profound. He’s nonverbal. Quite often, he would only sleep two hours a night. We made the decision to place him in residential care,” Matthew Stoner, Theo’s father, said. “He went to the public school here, and we are very proud of his time here.”