West Midlands estate agent Green & Company has launched a campaign to help families with an autistic child handle a house move.

The campaign comes amid Autism Awareness Week, which runs until April 2.

Using experiences from local autistic people and their families, Green & Company’s advice includes requesting extra viewings to help familiarise autistic children and creating social stories or cartoon strips to show how moving day is likely to go. Other tips include packing up items gradually to minimise the impact of changes, and taking ‘old’ bedding for the first night to reduce any sensory difficulties.

Chris Green, director at Green & Company, said: “We firmly believe a good estate agency should do much more than agree a sale on a property – it should support sellers and buyers right up until moving day.

“That could mean guiding them through the legal aspects of buying or selling, or it could mean giving advice on things like moving day, based on many years of property experience.

“This is the second year running we have supported World Autism Awareness Week and we’re blown away by some of the feedback received. We’ve had people from all over the country tell us how useful the advice has been.”

They are working with Alan Gardner, better known as the star of Channel 4 show The Autistic Gardener.

He lives close to Green & Company’s Walmley branch, one of 11 offices owned by the agent.

Gardner said: “Moving house can be an extremely difficult time for any child, let alone an autistic child. It’s fantastic that Green & Company is recognising the challenges and doing what they can to help that.

“We moved house when our undiagnosed children were four and seven and we kept them with us on moving day, didn’t send them into school, so they could see everything going into the removal truck and they were a part of the moving process. These little things can make all the difference.”