New home for people with autism spectrum disorder

According to statistics, every 100th child born suffers from autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that particularly affects a person’s social and communication skills. People with autism do not understand the world around them, they do not understand what they see, hear, and often do not understand what they feel and experience. ASD is then shown in the way the person behaves towards others and communicates with them.

People who got this diagnosis after 1994 are now young adults with high levels of support but without a network of services. Most registered social and health service providers are unable to care for people with autism. This leaves families with no choice but to fully care for their loved ones with autism themselves. As they age, it becomes increasingly difficult for aging parents to continue to provide the necessary day care for a lifetime. The prospect of having no one to take over the burden of care after their death is very stressful for all parents.

This situation is being addressed by New home, a social service home for people with disabilities that is provided twenty-four hours a day. A pilot project of community housing for adults with ASD not only in the Brno Metropolitan Area, but also in the whole of South Moravia. It is a form of housing that enables its residents to maintain a high quality and dignity of life. The New home is the first to combine the best of the Irish and Spanish approaches and seeks to inspire the creation of other similar community services.

The goal of the New home is for its residents to live a life as similar as possible to that of ordinary people. To be able to take care of themselves, their household and make their own decisions as independently as possible. It is based on the principle of person-centred planning and emphasises quality of life.

The New home is a family house where 6 housemates live together, who need help and support from each other to varying degrees. At least three assistants on day duty and one on night duty are always needed to ensure that each resident receives the support they need.

The first residents moved into the New home in mid-2023. Each person has their own room furnished according to their needs and taste. The house is also unique because, inspired by Spain, it uses assistive technologies such as motion sensors, window opening sensors, call buttons, automatic lighting and a range of connected smart home features to increase the independence of the residents. In addition to the living, dining, kitchen and communal lounge areas, the building also houses study rooms to provide individual training in self-care and household management, including social skills. In the future, a community garden will be added. Nearby, there is a café where people with autism can find work.

For twelve years the association Tady to mám to rád (Here I Like It) has been working to create community housing for adults with autism. The project was successful thanks to support from the ITI, which contributed CZK 12 million to the project. In total, the construction of the New home amounted to 26 million. Funding for the project was also provided by the City of Brno, the South Moravian Region and municipalities in Šlapanice area. The association Tady to mám to rád (Here I Like It) still has six million crowns left to pay, you can also contribute in a public collection.