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Attention to Detail
Moving can be stressful for families in the best of situations, but one of the major considerations for accepting a relocation involves the impact to one’s children. For companies relocating families with a “special needs” child, the situation can be particularly challenging.
More Preparation
There are 7.2 million students aged 3-to-21 studying under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the U.S. today, making up about 15 percent of all U.S. public-school students.
Though awareness of child learning, health disabilities and other special education needs have increased dramatically, relocating loved ones with such needs usually requires more preparation and attention to detail to ensure the right support is provided before, during and after a transition.
Additionally, because health information about an employee / family is private, companies may never even know if relocation candidates turn down offers because they were either unsure if their child’s unique requirements could truly be met in the destination or if they would have access to necessary special needs support services similar to their current network of providers.
Active Listening Makes a Difference
NEI has considerable experience assisting families with special needs children, be it learning disabilities or health concerns, and we navigate each situation to develop the best solutions. In fact, our experience led us to develop the You Allowance as a way for companies to provide additional support for unique situations just like this.
Our Account Executives are trained to conduct a detailed Family Needs Assessment to learn each relocating family’s priorities, needs and interests. They also learn how to recognize unspoken needs or concerns that could lead to employee/family reluctance to relocate.
NEI and client-approved service partners can provide guidance to families and work with resources in the destination to create a pre-move strategy and timetables to maximize the family’s time and address their home finding trip concerns. The following information provides two case studies involving the need for special assistance.
Short Term Rental with a Pool for Therapy
NEI worked with a family with two children moving from Missouri to New Jersey, one of whom had special needs. The family’s original intent was to purchase a home, but due to other circumstances they had to secure temporary living for six months with one requirement: a pool for the child’s therapy, as well as a separate living space for him.
Identifying a real estate agent who specializes in short-term rentals was NEI’s first step. The agent quickly located a private residence that included both a pool and the exact accommodations requested so the child’s routine wouldn’t miss a beat.
The Perfect Destination School
With the client’s approval, NEI partnered with a fee-based service partner to help a transferee find the perfect school for his child with autism when he was needed for an Atlanta to Los Angeles relocation. The service partner set up family appointments to visit each school based on the family’s unique needs, helped with the interview process, consolidated all documentation from the child’s previous program in Atlanta and even helped with school admissions paperwork.
Planning, Research, Preparation
For families deciding to relocate with a special needs child, it is important to start researching and planning early. Gathering all documents necessary to obtain the services and support needed in the new location is critical. Letters from teachers, therapists and other professionals who currently work with the child should be requested as quickly as possible to save time and stress.
Simultaneously, NEI provides links to school information in the destination city on our personalized NEI Cities website and, if client-approved, will recommend a contact for professional school search support. This is considered a best practice with NEI coordinating and managing expert service partners to advise employees on available schools, curriculums, and answer all questions. Here is a great example of how this type of support can help:
Supporting a Child Not Happy about the Relocation
NEI’s service partner worked with a family who was going on a house hunting trip to South Carolina. The family’s 10-year-old autistic son was resisting them – at every step – and was very unhappy. However, he had a new passion: martial arts. Our service partner located several martial arts studios and recommended the family trip include exposure to the different facilities and instructors. Their son tried three studios and, from that point on, he was “sold” on their relocation, even volunteering to help with decisions regarding the move.
If professional assistance is not offered by an employer, transferees are encouraged to contact destination area schools well in advance to discuss their child's needs and share copies of any individualized education plans. It is vital to speak to school counselors in the new location to understand the options a school offers.
Breaking the News
Acquainting a special needs child with the idea of relocating is important. Experts encourage families to:
- Announce the move with plenty of advance warning: weeks for a younger child; a month or more for teenagers
- Make a visual schedule of the move process
- Involve the child in planning and packing
- Show where the family is headed by viewing online photos and videos of their destination’s neighborhood, school, playgrounds, parks, library, and points of personal interest to the family.
The smallest details about transportation of household goods and temporary living for the families of special needs children cannot be overlooked. NEI worked with one family having very specific needs:
Exceptions for Household Goods and Temporary Living
During the NEI assessment call, an employee indicated he had a child with special needs and one of his biggest worries about relocating concerned the transfer of his medical equipment and temporary living accommodations. Our Account Executive:
- Secured a client exception to move items that were a necessity for the child, including a hoist chair, hospital bed and automated wheelchair
- Worked with the client and temporary housing partner to accommodate the family in an Airbnb home environment, rather than a corporate apartment
- Arranged for installing a temporary wheelchair ramp at the home
-
Patient, Proactive and Compassionate
Relocation success is so much more than just selling a home and moving household goods – it affects the entire family and requires everyone’s buy-in for the move to be a success.
Understanding how important it is to be patient, proactive and compassionate for all relocations, but especially for those which can be more complicated, has been engrained in our culture at NEI since our founding.
If you would like to discuss proactive policy changes, such as our You Allowance, or options to help families with special needs children, please reach out to your NEI representative.
Attention to Detail
Moving can be stressful for families in the best of situations, but one of the major considerations for accepting a relocation involves the impact to one’s children. For companies relocating families with a “special needs” child, the situation can be particularly challenging.
More Preparation
There are 7.2 million students aged 3-to-21 studying under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the U.S. today, making up about 15 percent of all U.S. public-school students.
Though awareness of child learning, health disabilities and other special education needs have increased dramatically, relocating loved ones with such needs usually requires more preparation and attention to detail to ensure the right support is provided before, during and after a transition.
Additionally, because health information about an employee / family is private, companies may never even know if relocation candidates turn down offers because they were either unsure if their child’s unique requirements could truly be met in the destination or if they would have access to necessary special needs support services similar to their current network of providers.
Active Listening Makes a Difference
NEI has considerable experience assisting families with special needs children, be it learning disabilities or health concerns, and we navigate each situation to develop the best solutions. In fact, our experience led us to develop the You Allowance as a way for companies to provide additional support for unique situations just like this.
Our Account Executives are trained to conduct a detailed Family Needs Assessment to learn each relocating family’s priorities, needs and interests. They also learn how to recognize unspoken needs or concerns that could lead to employee/family reluctance to relocate.
NEI and client-approved service partners can provide guidance to families and work with resources in the destination to create a pre-move strategy and timetables to maximize the family’s time and address their home finding trip concerns. The following information provides two case studies involving the need for special assistance.
Short Term Rental with a Pool for Therapy
NEI worked with a family with two children moving from Missouri to New Jersey, one of whom had special needs. The family’s original intent was to purchase a home, but due to other circumstances they had to secure temporary living for six months with one requirement: a pool for the child’s therapy, as well as a separate living space for him.
Identifying a real estate agent who specializes in short-term rentals was NEI’s first step. The agent quickly located a private residence that included both a pool and the exact accommodations requested so the child’s routine wouldn’t miss a beat.
The Perfect Destination School
With the client’s approval, NEI partnered with a fee-based service partner to help a transferee find the perfect school for his child with autism when he was needed for an Atlanta to Los Angeles relocation. The service partner set up family appointments to visit each school based on the family’s unique needs, helped with the interview process, consolidated all documentation from the child’s previous program in Atlanta and even helped with school admissions paperwork.
Planning, Research, Preparation
For families deciding to relocate with a special needs child, it is important to start researching and planning early. Gathering all documents necessary to obtain the services and support needed in the new location is critical. Letters from teachers, therapists and other professionals who currently work with the child should be requested as quickly as possible to save time and stress.
Simultaneously, NEI provides links to school information in the destination city on our personalized NEI Cities website and, if client-approved, will recommend a contact for professional school search support. This is considered a best practice with NEI coordinating and managing expert service partners to advise employees on available schools, curriculums, and answer all questions. Here is a great example of how this type of support can help:
Supporting a Child Not Happy about the Relocation
NEI’s service partner worked with a family who was going on a house hunting trip to South Carolina. The family’s 10-year-old autistic son was resisting them – at every step – and was very unhappy. However, he had a new passion: martial arts. Our service partner located several martial arts studios and recommended the family trip include exposure to the different facilities and instructors. Their son tried three studios and, from that point on, he was “sold” on their relocation, even volunteering to help with decisions regarding the move.
If professional assistance is not offered by an employer, transferees are encouraged to contact destination area schools well in advance to discuss their child's needs and share copies of any individualized education plans. It is vital to speak to school counselors in the new location to understand the options a school offers.
Breaking the News
Acquainting a special needs child with the idea of relocating is important. Experts encourage families to:
- Announce the move with plenty of advance warning: weeks for a younger child; a month or more for teenagers
- Make a visual schedule of the move process
- Involve the child in planning and packing
- Show where the family is headed by viewing online photos and videos of their destination’s neighborhood, school, playgrounds, parks, library, and points of personal interest to the family.
The smallest details about transportation of household goods and temporary living for the families of special needs children cannot be overlooked. NEI worked with one family having very specific needs:
Exceptions for Household Goods and Temporary Living
During the NEI assessment call, an employee indicated he had a child with special needs and one of his biggest worries about relocating concerned the transfer of his medical equipment and temporary living accommodations. Our Account Executive:
- Secured a client exception to move items that were a necessity for the child, including a hoist chair, hospital bed and automated wheelchair
- Worked with the client and temporary housing partner to accommodate the family in an Airbnb home environment, rather than a corporate apartment
- Arranged for installing a temporary wheelchair ramp at the home
-
Patient, Proactive and Compassionate
Relocation success is so much more than just selling a home and moving household goods – it affects the entire family and requires everyone’s buy-in for the move to be a success.
Understanding how important it is to be patient, proactive and compassionate for all relocations, but especially for those which can be more complicated, has been engrained in our culture at NEI since our founding.
If you would like to discuss proactive policy changes, such as our You Allowance, or options to help families with special needs children, please reach out to your NEI representative.
