A woman who has built her autistic brother a house in her back garden for £13,000 has described it as a “game-changer” to give him the independence he needs. Tiffany Chou, 36, chose to look after brother Chris, 33, after learning about his unhappiness in his residential home.
The siblings, who are both adopted, hadn’t lived together for 15 years. Tiffany was apprehensive about what the living situation would be like as she says Chris’ behaviour could be challenging.
As such, Tiffany, an accessory designer, and her artist boyfriend Erin Reid, 38, decided to build Chris a cottage in their back garden. After spending three months building and putting the structure together, Chris moved in in August 2022 and fell “in love” with his new home.
The space, which cost £13k to construct, is equipped to suit his needs. This includes a water tank right next to his bedroom, as he often gets thirsty in the night, and an induction hob to make sure it’s not left on, while his food is also portioned up in the fridge.
The home has given Chris his newfound independence, while also keeping Tiffany and Erin’s own space, which is essential after they welcomed their daughter, Luna, in September 2022.
“I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when I moved back and took in Chris,” said Tiffany. “It took us a while to work out the best solution for him living with us.
“He can be a bit noisy and overwhelming so we decided if he had his own independent space, just seconds from us, that would be ideal. He absolutely loves it and the change has been incredible.
“He’ll do his dishes without prompting. It’s really helped him be more independent.”
Tiffany moved back to Maui, Hawaii, US, from New York City in 2019 to look after her brother after hearing he was unhappy in his residential home. She added: “We hadn’t lived together since we were teenagers and I knew his behaviours might have changed.
“He’s a little noisy and can be overwhelming. We were thinking of a solution and decided to build him a little cottage. There was a little structure in our garden that Erin tore down and built up again from scratch.”
Chris initially helped with the build and was tasked with choosing the colours. To keep costs low, it was built out of reclaimed materials and fitted with second-hand furniture.
“It’s fit for his quirks,” Tiffany said. "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 some water was right by his bed. We also had an induction hob fitted so he can’t forget to turn it off.
“We help him meal prep as he doesn’t have any self control with food. But it’s been a game-changer for all of us - having an independent space for Chris.”
She continued: “Chris has the personality of a five or six-year-old but having his home has really helped his independence. I don’t have to constantly prompt him to do stuff anymore.
“He loves being an uncle and is great with Luna.” Tiffany also set up a business providing creative and social job opportunities for adults with disabilities - like Chris - last year.
Called Depo Market, she explained: “The name is inspired by Chris’ story as he was found left in a market. We want to hire more adults like Chris to give them opportunities.”
The idea stemmed from Tiffany finding a way for Chris to sell his handmade jewellery at a local market, which saw great success after two years. As the business’ website states, Chris makes origami jewellery and loves coming up with new designs.
