High school graduation may seem to be old hat by now for Joel and Sandy.

The Queens residents remember watching their son, Andrew, attend graduation last year with his Bayside High School classmates at the Nassau Coliseum. He received a ceremonial diploma. But when Andrew graduates on June 23 from PS 811Q, a District 75 School for students with special needs in Queens, N.Y., it will be “more definitive,” Joel said.

Andrew, who was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at 3 years of age, turned 21 earlier this month.

He is among many young adults across New York City who will transition from the Board of Education, which entitles people with developmental disabilities to services through age 21, to adult day services, an eligibility-based program under the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

For many families, this transition from educational services to adult services can be very difficult to navigate and coordinate. Andrew’s transition, however, will be virtually seamless because his parents began the process several years earlier.

“Assisting students and their families with transition from high school to the adult services system is extremely important,” said Paul Smoller, Senior Director of Day Services for the YAI Network. “Our goal is to develop a bridge program to support students, like Andrew, achieve success upon graduation."

Beth Altmann, the Transition Coordinator at Andrew’s school, provided the family with names of agencies they could consider for their son. Over the course of several months, they contacted agencies for information and took a week off from their jobs and spent summer vacation visiting programs with Andrew.

Sandy liked “the good vibe” she felt at YAI’s Bayside Day Services Program. She and Joel both liked the program’s focus on community integration, and the idea of Andrew giving back through volunteering. But only after Andrew said, “I like YAI the best,” did they know for sure that they had found a perfect fit.

The family got the proper evaluations – psychological, psycho-social and physical – and already had a Medicaid service coordinator.

Today, through a program in conjunction with his high school, before Andrew even graduates he and some classmates are gaining volunteer experience by joining YAI Day Services participants once a week in the community. This program – known as Getting Ready for Adult Days Services – was designed to ease the transition. Andrew, who already has been accepted to YAI’s Bayside program and is expected to begin attending in July, is making friends and becoming familiar with the volunteer sites.

Andrew enjoys volunteering at Young Israel senior center, where he and the group of YAI volunteers perform clerical work.

“It’s nice,” Andrew said. “I like when people know who I am. I like being with the YAI group.”