Moving When Your Child Has Autism, Advice from Local Movers

Children on the autism spectrum find peace in environmental settings and regular daily schedules that are familiar and comfortable for them. Moving means a lot of change— changing addresses, changing environments, and changing of family life regarding day-to-day routines. This is distressing for the entire family, but it is particularly overwhelming for kids on the spectrum.

As New York’s top residential relocation company, Shleppers has helped tons of families move. We gladly support a large number of New York’s family associations. Moving families with special needs children is something we’ve done countless times— and because your family matters to us, here are some of the things we’ve learned along the way…

It Is Possible to Keep Schedule Disruptions to a Minimum:

Being present while an outsider comes into your home and begins taking all the belongings out to stack it into huge moving truck can be a stressful experience for any child. Our moving experts can help sidestep that stress and strain by performing their services while your child is in school, at an after-school activity, or is in any case occupied.

It is Important to Answer Children’s Questions:

While all kids care somewhat about their belongings, children on the autism spectrum often hold the wellbeing of their items in the highest regard. It is our experience that communicating with children about how we will move their belongings with care can help to alleviate anxiety/distress. Additionally, if it helps to have one of our team members explain just how carefully we will move and protect their items, we will be more than happy to do so.

Parents and Caregivers Need Help, Too:

During a move, the grown-ups in the autistic child’s life can find they need to do a lot to soothe their youngster. Simultaneously, there’s all the typical factors of a family move to deal with: making plans with the moving company, arranging, packing and labeling belongings, and the sky is the limit from there. The chances are you have additional duties as well – including your job! The help and support of loved ones can help make an overwhelming experience increasingly easier: should somebody offer assistance, acknowledge it, and be willing to ask for what you need. Moreover, it can be helpful to create a running to-do list of tasks you need to complete to make your move easier. This way, when somebody offers assistance, you’ll know which direction to point them in!