I, 19F have had a very difficult time at school. if you were a regular person living my life, then you would probably think that it was the hardest school life someone could possibly have. I have, within that time, transferred schools 4 times, not counting transferring school branches like from kindergarten to elementary. I was the quite outcast autistic kid, but that’s not really the point of this post. But in the past 3 years, everything changed. My parents put me in a school that actually accepted me for who I am, but it was way more then that, they honoured my needs as a human being like needing more then a 2-5 minute break to go to the bathroom or re focus, and for the first time, I actually felt loved and cared for, and felt like I was treated as everyone should be treated at school, regardless of who you are. they altered homework schedules, changed the curriculum slightly to what I was interested in studying, and so on. and before you ask, no, this isn’t a special school for autistic kids. it is a school for kids that don’t thrive in a traditional environment or just need a little more focused attention and a calmer environment to educate themselves in and as far as I know, not everyone there is autistic. Next, I even ended up writing a novel within my last 3 years in high school (it’s not complete yet) but still. (For future context, my school is a fully liscnced zoom homeschooling school.)

Anyway, now I’m in 12th grade and I’m starting to think about my graduation and what will happen after, but my graduation is the main point of this post.

Anyway, enough rambling. recently near the end of a Sunday family dinner (this way yesterday actually, those of you reading this on 14.4.2025) my mom revealed to me that her and had had been talking and had decided that we were not going to travel to California and join my school’s actual graduation ceremony, but that I was going to graduate locally, meaning from home over zoom. I started crying and ran off to my bedroom, with my mom entered a few minutes later trying to explain that her and dad did not want to go to California, and that she wanted to make it up to me. (But in a way that doesn’t sound quite as blunt and mean.)

I continued crying and told her that after all I have been through from the bullying to the school transferrals to never really feeling quite at home anywhere, that I can’t believe that she would just let it end in this very lame and depressing way. I told her that I wanted to walk the Californian beach where it would likely be held (due to previous years of it being held at one) with pride, love and peace in my heart, knowing that I had made it where may autistic people don’t, and with peace and pride knowing that I never have to worry about such again. then I wanted to walk the shore and sit at the tide staring at the sunset reflecting on life and what chapter had just ended, and what chapter had just begun, and that it would be something I would remember for the rest of my life, and that I only get 1 high school graduation, and I wanted to make sure that it meant something, especially in my situation.

I’m not asking for some big party, just a graduation beyond sitting in my living room looking at a screen, wearing a graduation gown and cap. (I was also looking forward to throwing our graduation caps in unison.)

To be clear: my family is very well off, and Money certainly isn’t the issue, so I’m not trying to wash my family for money nor am I trying to do something that’s physically impossible.

I know that I may sound like a spoiled teenager or snob in this post, but I need advice to convince them that this matters. or I want your opinion on why I am or am not the AH. what is your opinion on this? AITAH?