Twenty-eight students with cognitive disabilities graduated from Jesse Kaplan School in West Nyack on Friday.

The Jesse Kaplan School school serves about 500 students ages 5 to 21 who have autism and other conditions.

Families and community members present at the event were all proud of the graduate’s accomplishments.

Beatrice Duncan says the school’s programs on literacy, communications and music positioned her 21-year-old son Juda for success. Now the new graduate is starting an adult job education program.

"They go with him to the different jobs. They shadow him until he's able to do it alone and he's going to get a paycheck,” she said.

Families of many students say they are looking into adult programs for jobs or continuing education and development.

"A lot of the effort during their senior year is to promote independence, so when they are in the adult world, they have the tools to be as independent as possible,” said Rockland BOCES CEO Amy Albers.