Parents building a neighbourhood just for adults on spectrum

It’s common for parents of children on the spectrum to have concerns about management of issues once their child enters adulthood.
For years, the parents of a boy on the spectrum have been brainstorming ideas about their son’s long-term accommodation options.
When he was a pre-teen, they hit on the idea of a housing complex designed specifically for adults on the spectrum, and now that he’s 19, they are about to break ground on their dream.
Debra Caudy, a retired medical oncologist, and her husband Clay Heighten, a retired emergency doctor and founder of a real estate management company, invested heavily to purchase 29 acres of rolling meadows and woods in Cross Roads, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.
They have created the nonprofit 29 Acres concept as they seek to reach their fundraising goal of $12 million.
“We couldn’t find anything (accommodation options), so we just decided to do it ourselves,” Caudy told The Dallas Morning News. “The need is enormous.”
With 200 staff, the complex will include 15 homes, a community centre, a “transitional” academy that teaches life and work skills to those who might be able to live independently, a bus stop, and easy access to ride-sharing for residents needing to shop and get to work.
The first residents are expected to move in next year.
Caudy hopes her idea will prove successful in Texas and throughout the world.