Social Story: Moving to a New Home

As I’ve mentioned previously we are getting ready to move to our new home!

We brought both boys to the house soon after our offer was accepted last month.  Brian was so confused and upset.  The previous owners were still living in the house at that time and he really wanted to get into all the toy boxes and climb on furniture and such and was angry at the fact that he kept being told “No” by Colin and myself.  At the end of that trip, we asked him if he wanted to live there and he screamed “NO” back to us.

It wasn’t the best experience so a social story was definitely in need.  Social stories are a step-by-step guide using visuals and written word to help children on the spectrum navigate experiences that are tricky for them.  They can really cover a host of different subjects.  Just a few I’ve developed over the years have been taking turns, how to answer social questions, flying on an airplane, getting a haircut, and how to use the toilet.

This was a super simple one that I seriously only took five minutes to put together. I wanted to just cover a few things that I thought might be confusing for him as well as give him a schedule of events.  The first time we read it, Brian whined through the entirety.  By the third time he was yelling “Yay! Move!”.  He has a copy at school that he is sharing with his friends and teachers.

The ultimate goal is that by Friday afternoon he will know what to expect.  He won’t feel confused or overwhelmed.  And we’ll move without a single meltdown.  One can hope, right?

Are you planning a move?  If so, please feel free to use our social story as a template for your own personalized story.

Heather Nelson

About Heather Nelson

Heather resides in Rockland where she is busy juggling life as a newlywed, a mom to two boys (one of which who has autism), a part time job in direct sales, and a full-time job as a pediatric occupational therapy assistant. She has a love for live music, karaoke, and cheering on the underdogs.