Masha Gregory was nervous to move out of her
parents' home and into her own place. The 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman
worried about making friends and being away from her parents.
After living in her own apartment at a complex
that focuses on adults with autism, she has made new friends and found she
loves her independence.
"It was great to move out because I have my
own life now," said Gregory, who lives in a Pittsburgh-area development
where half of the 42 units are for those diagnosed with autism. "I want to
be able to come and go as I please," said Gregory.
The complex called the Dave Wright Apartments,
opened in December and is among innovative housing developments popping up
across the U.S. to serve those who were diagnosed with autism as children amid
increased awareness about the disorder and changes in how it's defined.
According to AP, The developments are often
spearheaded by parents who see their adult children's desire for independence
and wonder who will care for them in the future.
Elliot Frank, president of the nonprofit Autism
Housing Development Corporation of Pittsburgh, which was behind the Dave Wright
Apartments where Masha Gregory lives, has watched as a community has formed
there. Frank said he came up with the concept after hearing a businessman talk
about employing autistic adults and wondering where they would live.
"The whole concept of what we call
disability housing, it's not what we used to think about," Frank said.
No comments:
Post a Comment