The goal for most parents is to raise happy and healthy kids who can take care of themselves independently when they grow up. Easier said than done under any circumstances, but even more challenging if you're raising kids with intellectual disabilities.  

But at Lancaster STEM High School, they opened a coffee shop on Thursday run by the students in the Special Education program to teach them skills to help them lead independent lives after high school.

Things are busy inside the Tiger Bistro.

"The Tiger Coffee Shop is run by our students, our exceptional learners. They run the coffee shop, they make the coffee, they take orders, they do the inventory," said Crystal Cromer, the Executive Director of Special Education with Lancaster Independent School District.

All the employees are part of the Special Education program. Employees like Travis Tucker.  

 "We're doing hot chocolate, muffins, snacks, stuff like that. Come on down if you like snacks and muffins," said Tucker, a senior at Lancaster STEM High School. 

And Juba Jackson

"Helping people take their orders and stuff," said Jackson, also a senior. 

It's all designed to help give them the skills they need to be independent after they graduate.  

"These students are in a curriculum that prepares them, with their disabilities or their exceptional skills, so that they are prepared for life after high school, and that's important because we want them to be independent," said Cromer. 

That means taking orders, learning to use the payment system, and of course, delivering a hot cup of coffee.  

But these kids have big dreams after high school, outside of working in coffee shops.  

 "Helping the homeless," said Jackson, "I like helping people in my community."

"When I get out of high school, like I said, I want to be a storm chaser," said Tucker. 

This is just a stepping stone for them.  

"Several of our students have been with us since first grade in Lancaster ISD. They've come through our program, we've seen them come in through not ever being in school before and not being able to talk, some of them not being able to feed themselves, and now as high school students, these students are working," said Cromer. "It just makes me so proud.  It makes me excited. It really warms my heart."