Moving with an Autistic Child

Many children who are on the autism spectrum find great comfort in familiar surroundings and a regular routine. Moving involves a lot of change, both of addresses and in the way a family’s life works on a day to day basis. This is stressful for everyone, but for children who have autism or other sensory disorders moving can be overwhelming.

As New York’s leading residential moving company, we’ve helped lots of families relocate. We proudly support many of New York’s family organizations. Moving families who have children with special needs and other health concerns matters to all of us at Shleppers. Here’s what we’ve learned during these moves:

1) It Is Possible To Keep Scheduled Disruptions to a Minimum:

Our team of moving professionals can do their thing while your child is at school, attending after-school activities, or is otherwise occupied, thereby eliminating the stress and tension that some children experience when strangers come into their home and start taking all the stuff out and loading it into big moving trucks.

2) It is Important to Answer Children’s Questions:

While all children care to some extent about their possessions, for children with autism, the safety of their collection or favorite items is of extreme concern. If it is helpful for your child to have one of our team members explain how carefully their things will be moved, and how these items will be protected from being damaged or lost while being moved, we will happily do this. Having access to this information is very calming for some children.

3) Parents and Caregivers Need Help Too:

During a move, the adults in the autistic child’s life can find they have to do a lot to support their child. At the same time, there’s all the realities of a household move to handle: coordinating with the moving company, sorting and packing possessions, labeling everything, and more. By the way, odds are you still have other responsibilities too – including your job! The support and assistance of family and friends can help make an overwhelming time more manageable: if someone offers help, accept it, and be willing to ask for what you need. It can help to keep a running to-do list of things that need to happen to make your move a success. That way when someone can help you, you’ll know which direction to point them in.