Moving house with an autistic child can feel overwhelming, but with the right preparation and mindset, it is absolutely manageable.
Moving is challenging for anyone, but for those of us on the autism spectrum, it brings unique hurdles.
Routine is a comfort zone for myself and my autistic child and arguably all autistic individuals. And moving house disrupts that in a big way.
The key is to keep calm, communicate openly, and prepare for the transition well in advance.
Here are six tips to make moving house with an autistic child smoother and less stressful for the entire family.
1. Understand How Autism Influences the Moving Process
Autistic children like my own thrive on routine and familiarity.
Moving house with an autistic child means saying goodbye to the comfort of a known environment and adjusting to something entirely new.
This can feel overwhelming for them.
Explain moving house with an autistic child is necessary.
For example:
- “We need more space for our family.”
- “This house is closer to school or the park.”
We always try to highlight the positives of the move to frame it as an adventure rather than a loss.
Moving house with an autistic child is not just about packing boxes; it is about ensuring they understand the changes ahead and feel secure throughout the process.
Autistic children like my own do not like change. Nor do I like change as an autistic adult.
Change is very uncomfortable.
We like things to stay the same and we have routines that in our ideal world will stay like that forever.
The world is constantly changing and this is not nice.
We like consistency and we like things we can control.
Moving house is certainly a massive, big, enormous, hard change.
Our home is our safe space and our comfort zone.
And we will be going somewhere STRANGE and NEW.
2. Introduce the New Environment Before the Move
I have found a great way to ease the transition to moving house with an autistic child is to make the new place feel familiar before the move.
- Visit the new house: If possible, we try to take our child to the new house before the move. Let them explore the rooms, pick their bedroom, and visualize how it will look once everything is set up.
- Tour the neighborhood: Walk around the area together. Point out nearby parks, stores, or schools. If visiting is not possible, use Google Maps and Street View to give them a virtual tour.
- Provide facts: Share details about the house, like when it was built, or who lived there before. These small bits of information can make the place feel more familiar.
This approach allows moving house with an autistic child to not feel so scary. My child gets the time to process the change gradually.
Let them see the transport and tell them how they will be getting around.
Any new routes to school and shops etc.
3. Before moving house with an autistic child – Involve them in the Packing
Packing can feel chaotic, but every time we involve our autistic child in the process, they feel a sense of control and this helps them come to terms with the move without getting over anxious about it.
Let them go out with you to bring back moving boxes.
- Start with their room: Let them pack their belongings first. Teach them how to handle fragile items and organize their things into boxes. Show them how to place them properly and carefully in the boxes. (Heavy at the bottom, light on the top etc)
- De-clutter together: Give them a bag for items they no longer need. Decluttering can be empowering.
- Family spaces: Once they have packed their room, ask them to help pack up things that go in family rooms. Such as the living room, bathroom, kitchen etc.
Ask them what they want to get rid of and give them a big bag for throwaways to help de-clutter.
By including our child in packing, we are demystifying the process and ensuring that moving house with an autistic child is a collaborative effort, not a sudden and scary event.
This really makes everything less scary than if they just come home from school one day and half the house has disappeared.
Having them pack with you also makes your job a little shorter too. Because you know. 4 hands is better than 2 right.
4. Prepare a Countdown Calendar
This helps them visualize how soon the move will be and helps them mentally prepare for it.
Surprises are not welcome when moving house with an autistic child. Establish a clear timeline to help them mentally prepare.
- Countdown the days: Use a calendar to mark the days until the move. Have your child cross off each day as it passes.
- Talk regularly about the move: Discuss the move often, especially as the big day approaches. Remind them of the positives—more space, a better location, or a new adventure.
This consistent communication helps ease the stress of moving house with an autistic child by giving them a sense of predictability.
It will not just be that they come home and all of a sudden they are being driven to a different location.
As an autistic person, this would FREAK me out.
Again. Keep mentioning the positives to the whole move and why it needed to be done in the first place.
You may be met with some resistance but to be honest, it is to be expected! We are caring for someone on the spectrum who by their nature, absolutely hates change.
5. Unpack and Settle In Together
Once you have moved in, unpacking is the next big task.
Keep your child involved here too.
- Start with their room: Make unpacking their room a priority. Arrange their furniture and belongings first, keeping in mind their preferences – so they have a familiar, safe space.
- Encourage involvement: Let them decide where to place their things. Involving them reinforces their sense of control.
- Pace yourself: Autistic children may feel stressed if tasks are left unfinished. Break the unpacking into smaller chunks, and allow them to rest as needed.
Adjusting to the new house takes time. Be patient. Moving house with an autistic child requires understanding that they’ll need moments of solitude to recharge.
So you are at the new place now. Great.
Unpacking is daunting but exciting at the same time I think.
The first few hours of placing things around the new house is great until exhaustion kicks in.
Then you need to take a break.
Bear in mind for an Autistic person taking a break is not so easy. At All.
Like not in the slightest.
If we feel and see we have unfinished work, we do our best to finish it.
Leaving it for later is extremely uncomfortable.
Make sure you take this into account with your Autistic child and make sure they get some rest.
The obsessive behaviour with needing to finish a task can be made worse under stress.
And god knows. Moving, packing and unpacking is a whole bunch of pain in the ass stress.
I have found myself in situations where I do not sleep till around 3 am because I must finish a task!
6. Help Them Adjust to Their New Routine When Moving House with an Autistic Child!
Routine is everything when it comes to moving house with an autistic child. After the move, re-establish routines as quickly as possible.
- Stick to regular mealtimes and bedtimes: Familiar schedules provide comfort.
- Explore the neighborhood together: Visit parks, local shops, and new routes to school.
- Create a safe space: Make a calming corner or sensory friendly area in the new house where your child can retreat if they feel overwhelmed.
Adjustment does not happen overnight. Moving house with an autistic child means allowing them the time and space to feel at home.
If they need to be alone sometimes, or they need their own little space to calm down. Do not interfere or try to get involved too much.
We always leave a spot under the bed for our autistic child to be able to sit there and decompress.
It is one of the first things that I did once we had moved into a new location!
Final Thoughts
Moving is a challenge for any family, but for those with a child on the autism spectrum, it’s not just about changing addresses – it is about helping them transition from one safe space to another.
Moving house with an autistic child is no small feat, but it is achievable with preparation and patience.
The key is: clear communication, involvement, and understanding your child’s unique needs.
I highly recommend you read your child some books about how other children do whilst moving house.
Books like ‘ETHAN Moves House‘ can be a helpful resource, showing how other children cope with moving.
Remember, every small step you take to ease their transition will make a huge difference in their experience.
With these tips in mind, moving house with an autistic child can be transformed from a daunting process into a manageable, even positive, experience for the entire family.
I have written a post on how to help your autistic child leave the house and be comfortable with being outside the house. If you need help in getting your Autistic child to want to go out of the house, you can read that here.