Tours
Woman builds autistic brother a cottage in her backyard so he can live independently
Her plan was to build him a cottage that would accommodate all his needs.
Luis Gaskell
11.04.22

Living with autism is different for every person.

There’s a good chance the condition is underdiagnosed in a lot of people.

And for those that do have a diagnosis, there’s still the stigma from other people they’ve got to deal with.

Indeed, lots of people with autism complain of trouble maintaining eye contact, being alone, or maintaining a conversation.

Chris has autism.

And his sister, Tiffany, built a cottage for him so they could be close.

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Tiffany runs Depo Market with her adopted brother, Chris.

He was adopted at 8 months old.

The 33-year-old Chris complained about being unhappy with his current living space.

Chris resided in New York while his sister lived all the way in Hawaii.

For 15 years, the siblings hadn’t lived together.

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Tiffany admits her brother’s condition often leads to behavior that’s a bit challenging to live with.

But Tiffany would still do anything to make her brother happy.

This is simply what life is like for people with higher-functioning autism.

They might cope or deal with boredom and stress in other ways most of us don’t.

And neurotypical people can often find it bothersome.

YouTube screenshot - SWNS
Source:
YouTube screenshot - SWNS

Still, Tiffany wanted only the best quality of life for Chris.

So she built him a home where they could be closer together.

And you can’t get much closer than the backyard.

After the long trip back from Hawaii, Tiffany was now in Maui with her brother again.

Her plan was to build him a cottage that would accommodate everything he needed.

And it is one pretty cottage.

This is no glorified shed.

It’s a full-on home with a gorgeous interior and everything else.

YouTube screenshot - SWNS
Source:
YouTube screenshot - SWNS

The project cost $15,000 and it certainly was worth the money.

The sun shines through the windows and makes the whole thing look even better.

YouTube screenshot - SWNS
Source:
YouTube screenshot - SWNS

People living on the spectrum tend to build some novel habits.

For Chris, this is drinking water a lot more than most people.

So his house is outfitted to help him with that.

“Chris is the thirstiest person you have ever met so he is constantly up in the night drinking water and needing the toilet, so we made sure his bathroom and a water tank was right by his bed.”

Chris’ kitchen makes use of an induction cooker to make sure one can’t accidentally leave the stove on.

Tiffany also helps Chris by preparing portions of his food in case he forgets.

The whole home is made with repurposed materials and furniture.

YouTube screenshot - SWNS
Source:
YouTube screenshot - SWNS

But you would never know because of how good a job they did with it.

Plus, Tiffany and her boyfriend have welcomed a new member into the family too. Their daughter Luna.

And, of course, Chris loves that he lives near his baby niece.

And Tiffany’s start-up business, Depo Market, works specifically to make life better for people like her brother.

Depo Market helps find opportunities for people living with disabilities, and you can’t say their founder doesn’t take that goal very seriously.

See a tour of Chris’ cottage in the video below!

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