Allen ISD students with disabilities are landing paid jobs after training through the district's 18 Plus Program at the Pat Dillard Special Achievement Center.
The program serves students who have aged out of traditional high school but still need structured support to build independence. Each morning, students complete assigned tasks around the East Main Street campus: cleaning shared spaces, checking automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and practicing household routines in an apartment-style setting, according to a district profile published Thursday, Aug. 27.
Lisa Trees, 18 Plus special services teacher at the center, said students are expected to clean up their own messes rather than rely on custodial staff. The daily structure extends beyond housekeeping. Students participate in circle time focused on communication and self-advocacy, then some work with Texas Workforce Solutions at local businesses.
From training to paychecks
Those workplace partnerships have produced results. Lisa Austen, an Allen ISD parent, said her son Scott started at Rudy's for about six months, working roughly 20 hours a week, before moving to Hugs Café in downtown McKinney where he now works.
Bradley Keefer, another student in the program, visits TwoRows several times a week to practice workplace skills. His mother, Krystal Keefer, said the family moved to Allen when Bradley was in third grade and began planning for post-graduation options then.
"I knew flat out that this was going to be something that he was going to be great at and needed to go to, and I'm extremely thankful for it," Keefer said of the 18 Plus Program.
Student-run business breaks sales records
Students also run Eagle Creations, an enterprise that sells handcrafted cards and items at pop-up shops across Allen ISD campuses. Students prepare merchandise, set up displays, greet customers, explain prices, and complete sales.
The results are tangible. Trees said Eagle Creations is breaking sales records this year, with revenue going back into the program to fund pizza, a holiday party, and other student activities.
What changes look like
Trees said students arrive quiet and timid on their first day. As they learn to advocate for themselves, she said, they physically carry themselves differently.
Bradley Keefer's enthusiasm tells the story another way. His mother said even on non-school days, he dislikes staying home because he wants to see his friends and teachers at the center.
The Pat Dillard Special Achievement Center is at 601 E. Main St. in Allen.
