Hélène Médigue is an actress. Vincent, her brother, is autistic. To get him out of the medical institutions where he’s not thriving, she puts his career on hold. She then founded “Les Maisons de Vincent”: a living space where people with autism can fully express their potential. France 2 devoted a report to it. Look.
Constructions unsuitable in France
† Today I smile Vincent says in the report. While I wasn’t really that before. In fact, at the age of 61, Vincent had a life of wandering that consisted of inappropriate care. According to his sister Hélène, this is not an isolated case but a gap in the French system: “ Today, in France, the majority of autistic adults without a housing solution are mainly placed in psychiatric hospitals or in unsuitable residential homes. ‘, we can read on the website of the association. Faced with this observation, Hélène imagines a space that is a real place to live, with ” the spirit of a house †
A place open to the world
Today, “Les Maisons de Vincent” welcomes between six and ten autistic adults full-time. It’s about bringing people-sized groups together, in comfortable homes that are open to the world. Regular guests take part in everyday life: “ This big table brings together assures Hélène in the report. We are rebuilding a family. » Medical and social teams provide individual support to each resident. Their mission? † Give the tools to reduce the problems » autism. It is about “avoid medication”“, explains Hélène, and to let everyone “ develop one’s potential †
“Independence, autonomy, freedom”
The vocation of the “Houses of Vincent” is also to be fully part of the ecological transition. Through a partnership with local farms, residents will participate in horticultural and produce distribution activities. A way to kill two birds with one stone, to take care of the land and the people: ” This horticultural activity will become the therapeutic and educational basis of the reception areas ‘, we can read on the website of the association. What do residents think? † Vincent’s house, I like it Vincent confides in the report. Then, with a smile on his lips: Independence, autonomy, freedom, it’s the same. You understood me ? †
Thanks to Hélène and Vincent, we understood that the difference is a wealth to cultivate!