For the Flores family, the difference they're seeing in their daughter, Mia, is clear.

“[She’s developed] more life skills, independent of what they're teaching her,” Mia’s mother, Mary, said. “But now she's helping more with the kitchen stuff and laundry, where in the past I would just limit it."

Mia has Down syndrome, and the 20-year-old Sharyland ISD student is one of the first in the district to be part of the new 18+ Steps Program.

The program helps young adults with disabilities build confidence, job skills, and independence at their facility. On Wednesday, the district held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility.

“This transition program is for students that have completed all graduation requirements in high school,” Sharyland ISD Special Education Director Vanessa Leal said. “We focus on preparing them for the next step — either through independent living skills or through skills that they will use in the future to acquire a job."

The Flores family said they first started pushing for a program like this when Mia was still in middle school.

That idea is now a reality

The 18+ STEPS Facility opened in August 2025 and welcomed 29 students and 11 staff members. 

“The 18+ STEPS Facility is more than a building — it’s a promise to our students and families that we will walk alongside them as they move toward greater independence,” Leal said in a statement. “Every lesson, every partnership, and every experience here is designed to prepare our students for a life of confidence, contribution, and self-sufficiency.”

Watch the video above for the full story.