Winchester local recognized by national autism organization

Winchester resident Catherine Boyle received recognition in a report summarizing the outcome of Autism Speaks "House-to-Home" prize, released on July 7th. The purpose of this international competition was to generate out-of-the-box housing ideas for adults with autism.

262 applications were submitted across 3 categories, with a winner in each. In addition, 8 other submissions were highlighted as notable, including Boyle's, which was entitled "Configurable Housing". The idea behind the submission was a housing design that could be easily reconfigured to meet the needs of a resident as they change over time, while continuing to conform to the regulatory requirements of supportive service programs.

Boyle is the president of Autism Housing Pathways, a non-profit organization based in Winchester that assists Massachusetts families to find or create housing options for their adult family members with developmental disabilities. Over 14,000 young people with autism are likely to need affordable, supported housing in Massachusetts over the next 20 years, beyond what is currently supplied by the Department of Developmental Services.