Moving To a New Home When Your Child Has Autism

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Guest Blog by Jane Spitz, RoadwayMoving.com

Moving to a new home can be one of the most stressful and challenging situations in life. Aside from being a hassle, it can disrupt the way you live your life, especially when making some significant adjustments in terms of the new environment, neighborhood, and a lot more.
Thus, what is stressful and tedious to you is definitely more problematic to your autistic child.  Since most children with autism need to adhere to a strict routine in a familiar environment, any deviation from that schedule, such as moving, can cause more anxiety and increased stress. Luckily, even if it’s impossible to eliminate all the fear a relocation might cause, there are ways to make the process much more comfortable for your child with autism. Consider these tips to make the move easier:

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Talk About The Move
More than anything else, it’s crucial that you introduce the topic of moving with your child ahead of time. They need to be ready for what’s about to happen in the coming weeks and months.
For instance, announce the news a few weeks before moving day, making sure to highlight the positive aspects of a move to help ease his or her mind. Tell them that they might have a bigger bedroom and more chances to enjoy the things that interest them. Showing pictures and other visual aids will help them process the information better. In other words, try to make them excited about the change to reduce the anxiety and stress they have towards your upcoming relocation.
Keep Daily Routines Intact
In reality, maintaining some routines can be difficult when you’re busy planning a move. However, if you’re moving with an autistic child, try to keep their daily routines as much as possible so they have something to cling to for comfort when everything in your home is messy. Do your best to stick with their regular mealtimes, bed times, and other tasks they do every day.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to compromise the comfort of your child, hiring professional residential movers can be an excellent solution. Their services help you focus on keeping your child’s daily routines intact while moving professionals handle the challenging aspects of your move for you.
Have A Safety Plan In Place
Some children with autism tend to wander, making them susceptible to danger. Make sure any scissors, stacked boxes, and other packing materials are out of their reach. Also, keep the doors and windows closed throughout the moving process to prevent them from going out without your guidance.
Moreover, if your hands are full on a moving day, you can ask the help of a trusted friend or a relative to keep an eye on your child to help them stay away from potential chaos and hazards.
Prepare Comforting Items
As mentioned, most children with autism rely on things and behaviors that provide them comfort. Because of this, it’s a good idea to prepare a comfort kid for them when moving. It will be a great source of comfort when things get messy during the big day.
If they have toys, books, and electronic devices that comfort them, keep them handy. Also, don’t forget to pack some of their favorite foods so they have an added source of support during the relocation.
Final Thoughts
While moving to a new home can be an overwhelming experience, these tips will help your child cope with the changes. Lastly, even if you’re moving to a faraway place, you can also rest knowing your child will have a comfortable and less stressful moving experience with the help of moving services long distance.