Parents build train-themed tiny house in backyard for 21-year-old son with autism
"His own space, his own choices and agency. That’s so regulating!"

Parents build 21-year-old autistic son a tiny home for independent living.
Tiny houses are an incredible living option. Compact yet complete with everything needed to live a full, independent life, living in a tiny home has been a game changer for Bobby, an autistic 21-year-old in West Virginia whose parents built him his own train-themed tiny home in their backyard.
Bobby, who has intellectual autism, a seizure disorder, and OCD, has been living in the home for over nine months. His parents have documented his tiny home living on TikTok, where they share what life is like for Bobby and the positive impact it has had in his life and theirs.
"Our solution to give some independence to our 20 year old son with profound autism is this backyard tiny home," his mother wrote in the video.
@bobbystinyhouseworld Our solution to give some independence to our 20 year old son with profound autism is this backyard tiny home. He’s been living here for over 4 months and it’s going better than we could have ever imagined! #autism #profoundautism #autismadult #autismparenting #independentliving #tinyhouse
In the video, she gives a full tour of the exterior and interior of Bobby's tiny home. It is a 12 foot by 30 foot home that has enabled Bobby more freedom and independence.
But it's also been a game changer for her life as the parent of a child with autism as well. In another video, she explained the profound impact Bobby's tiny house move has had. "Our situation was dire. OCD had taken over every part of our life," she shared in a video explaining why they built Bobby his tiny house. "I told my husband, 'I'm done. I cannot do this,'" adding that their lives had become incredibly chaotic when the tiny house idea just came to her.
@bobbystinyhouseworld #autism #profoundautism #autismadult #autismparenting #independentliving #tinyhouse
She continued by sharing, "I've let go of the control I've needed to have over his life for the past 20 years...from what I'm getting from his reaction of living on his own in that tiny home is that I think that control was so overwhelming for him. I know it was overwhelming for me. I didn't know how to deal with any of it."
On top of helping ease her struggles with control, the tiny house has also helped Bobby immensely. "Bobby has been living in his tiny house for 9 months. It’s been 9 months with no meltdowns, no aggression, 9 months of him eating new foods with ease. He’s happier, my husband and I are happier. By far, the best decision we’ve ever made!" she wrote in the caption of another video.
Although Bobby now has his own space, she notes that his tiny home doesn't have everything a normal "house" would, including things like a stove, a washer and dryer to do laundry, or a TV. She also adds that having security cameras inside and outside of the home has been vital to making sure Bobby is safe in his new place.
@bobbystinyhouseworld He has his own ice maker, but prefers ours 🤷🏻♀️🤣 #autism #profoundautism #autismparents #autismparenting #ocd #specialneeds #autismadult #independentliving #tinyhouse
And they continue to work on daily living skills, like taking out the garbage. "Working on daily living skills has been so much easier to do in his tiny house. It’s his space and he’s much more cooperative in doing these tasks," she wrote.
Bobby's viewers absolutely love following his tiny home journey and personal growth through his independent living.
"As a momma of an autistic son, this melts my heart," one wrote.
"This is a huge accomplishment for an adult on the spectrum! Giving him independence and his own space is amazing!!!❤️" said another.
Another viewer wrote, "His own space, his own choices and agency. That’s so regulating!"
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.