Welcome to Dylan’s House

Everyone deserves a place to call home.

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Amy Shope is the founder and director of Dylan’s House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with autism by providing housing for adolescents, young adults, and adults on the autism spectrum. 

Amy understands the challenges many families face raising children with autism, and Dylan’s house aims to foster independent living in a safe, positive environment.

When Amy’s son, Dylan, was 17, he moved out of the family home where he had been born and raised due to some aggressive behavior and his team feeling the need for more independence.

It was difficult to explain what was happening, but since Dylan liked to talk in the third person, his parents started talking about Mom and Dad’s house versus Dylan’s house. 

With the help of an agency, they had been using for home care, Amy and her husband started visiting supportive living homes in the area. 

The initial spot was not ideal, but it was a start—providing Dylan with a regimented routine that he could not always get at home. 

Amy shares that caring for an individual with special needs can sometimes feel like you are in a war zone. 

Like many couples, it took a toll on her relationship with her husband, not to mention fear of aggression causing injury to her daughter. 

There comes a time when soul-searching for a better solution for everyone involved is crucial. 

Moving Dylan into a supportive living situation helped him grow, and he became toilet-trained. However, the home was not ideal, and it was 25 minutes away, so Amy came up with another idea – buying Dylan his own house and becoming his landlord. 

Making the house feel like a home – not an institution – was crucial. 

Creating a New Home – a Better Fit

As Amy says, “Everyone deserves a comfortable home. It does not need to be a top-of-the-line, state-of-the-art home, but no one should live in rundown places where we do not want to live.”

It took a few months to find a little “Cape Cod,” adorable home. After some minor cosmetic work, a new rug, pillows, and pictures everywhere, the new home was ready for Dylan to move in. 

The home has a garden, a fenced backyard, and a finished basement.

Dylan is not alone; he has 24/7 care. His caregivers work three shifts, so someone is there in the morning, afternoon, and overnight – they are not live-in. 

While his parents would love for him to have a roommate to share expenses and for companionship, it has to be the right fit for both. 

Amy shares that being his mother and not his caregiver has made a considerable difference in the family. 

He also visits their small home on Lake Erie every other weekend without a caregiver, which is more enjoyable for the entire family.

Future Goals

Realizing that so many other families needed better options for their loved ones and that not everyone was in the financial position to buy a home for their child, Amy and her husband started their 501 (c) 3 nonprofit.

Naming it “Dylan’s House” made perfect sense. The goal is to buy and build homes and be the landlord, providing housing for adolescents, young adults, and adults on the autism spectrum. 

However, Amy says they are also open to helping others with special needs find better housing solutions

They also focus on increasing caregivers’ involvement in the profession by providing mini-grants as a form of a “little bonus” to help supplement their making because we understand their demanding jobs.

So those are our two primary goals. They have been blessed to have two acres of land donated in Youngstown, Ohio, by the Autism Society of Mahoning Valley.

They have partnered with them and understand the mission, of course. Amy tells us they have the plans for the first home and are in the process right now through fundraising and possible lending solutions to build the first home.

The goal is to expand to wherever there is a need for homes such as these – a better alternative for individuals to live independently. 

To learn more or to donate to the mission, visit Dylan’s House 

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This post originally appeared on our May/June 2024 Magazine