A simple idea with a major impact

Sara Gudiel, a recent occupational therapy graduate from Touro University Nevada, recently created a six-week Empower program in class to help teens and adults with Down syndrome build practical life skills as they transition into adulthood.

• She held the program temporarily at Gigi’s Playhouse Las Vegas, a nonprofit Down syndrome achievement center.
• Her concept proved so successful that it's now being rolled out across the nonprofit's entire network, covering 62 centers across two countries.

A self-reliant structure: The curriculum focuses on everyday independence for individuals with Down syndrome through skills like self-care, nutrition, leisure, and self-advocacy.

It fills an important gap for many families whose children turn 18 and age out of the school system, helping with new challenges like guardianship and medical decision-making.

The impact is already showing up. Sara recalled one parent telling her that her daughter, who rarely communicated when something was wrong, came to her after getting hurt and was able to explain what happened. 

For participant Otischa Smiley, 29, the program has brought new confidence. Between cooking, dancing, conversations, and learning about healthy eating, she summed up the experience simply: "I feel like a new me, a new diva."

Sara says the goal has always been bigger than teaching life skills. "These individuals are more than just their diagnosis or what people view them as. They are so much more than that."

That mindset fits squarely with GiGi's Playhouse's mission. The nonprofit provides free educational, therapeutic, and career development programs for people with Down syndrome of all ages, helping thousands of families build confidence, independence, and opportunity. Now, thanks to one graduate student's idea, even more people will have access to a roadmap for thriving well into adulthood.