Hurricane Prep for Autistic Kids a South Florida Family Guide

For most South Florida families, hurricane prep means water, batteries, and shutters. For families raising a child with autism, it means more. A storm changes everything your child relies on: the daily routine, the lights, the sounds, the house itself, and sometimes even where you sleep.

Wind howling for hours, shutters that make the house dark at noon, a generator roaring outside, a crowded shelter, or a week without the tablet or the favorite show can push any child past their limit. For an autistic child who depends on predictability and is sensitive to sound, light, or touch, these changes can lead to meltdowns, shutdowns, sleep problems, or wandering.

The good news is that the same tools we use every day in ABA therapy work here too: preparation, visual supports, practice, and reinforcement. This guide from Avant-Garde Behavioral Therapy in Davie, FL walks Broward County families through what to do before, during, and after a storm. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, but the best time to start is before a storm is ever in the forecast.

Before the Storm: Use Visual Social Stories

A social story is a short, simple story, often with pictures, that explains what will happen and what your child can do. It turns something scary and unknown into something your child has already "seen" and practiced. Read it often, starting early in the season, so the story feels familiar long before the first warning.

Tips for a strong storm story:

Use real photos. Take pictures of your own house, your shutters, your flashlight, your car, and even your local shelter if you might go there.
Write in first person from your child's point of view ("I," "my").
Keep it calm and concrete. Describe what your child will see, hear, and feel. Avoid scary details like flooding or damage.
Include a coping step. Name exactly what your child can do when it gets loud or dark, like wearing headphones or holding a favorite toy.
Match your child's level. For younger or minimally verbal children, use one picture and a few words per page. For older kids and teens, add more detail and let them help make it.

Sample story: "When a Hurricane Comes"

Sometimes a big storm called a hurricane comes to Florida.
A hurricane has lots of wind and rain. The wind can be very loud.
Before the storm, Mom and Dad will put shutters on the windows. The house will be darker. That is okay. The shutters keep us safe.
The lights or TV might turn off. We have flashlights and my tablet is charged.
If the storm sounds too loud, I can wear my headphones and sit in my cozy corner.
Sometimes families go to a different building to stay safe. I will bring my bag and my favorite things.
The storm will end. The sun will come back. My family will be with me.

Practice before you need it. Do a short "storm drill" on a calm day. Put up one shutter, turn off the lights for 10 minutes, use flashlights, and play storm sounds at a low volume while your child uses headphones. Reward calm participation with something your child loves. Each drill makes the real event a little more familiar.

As the storm gets closer, add a visual countdown or schedule ("3 more sleeps until the storm," "Today: shutters, then pizza, then movie"). Predictability is one of the most calming things you can offer.

Pack a Sensory-Friendly Go-Bag

Your family's regular hurricane kit covers water, food, and documents. Your child also needs a separate bag built around comfort and regulation. Let your child help pack it and decorate it so it feels like theirs, and keep it packed all season.

Sensory and comfort items

Noise-canceling headphones or earplugs (most important for wind, generators, and shelters)
Sunglasses or a hat for bright shelter lights
Weighted lap pad or small weighted blanket, if your child uses one
Favorite stuffed animal, blanket, or pillow (one that smells like home)
Fidgets, chewies, putty, or stress balls
A small pop-up tent or sheet to create a private "quiet space"

Entertainment that works without power

Tablet with downloaded shows, music, and games (no Wi-Fi needed)
Fully charged power banks and charging cables
Preferred books, coloring books, crayons, stickers, or small building toys

Food and comfort routines

Several days of your child's preferred "safe" foods and drinks, especially if they eat a limited diet
Their usual cup, plate, or utensils
Familiar pajamas and soft, tag-free clothes

Communication and visual supports

AAC device and charger, or a printed backup communication board
Printed visual schedule cards, first-then board, and "break" card
A laminated copy of your storm social story

Health and safety

At least a 2-week supply of medications, plus copies of prescriptions
A one-page "About Me" card: diagnosis, how your child communicates, triggers, what calms them, allergies, and emergency contacts
ID bracelet, shoe tag, or clothing label with your phone number, especially if your child wanders
Copies of insurance cards and key medical records in a waterproof bag
Contact info for your child's doctors and therapy team
Diapers, pull-ups, or wipes if needed

Small reinforcers

A stash of special treats, stickers, or a "surprise" toy saved just for the storm, to reward brave and calm moments

Riding Out the Storm and Power Outages at Home

If your family shelters at home, outages can last hours or days. The goal is to keep as much of your child's normal day as possible, even when the house looks and sounds different.

Keep the routine, even a simple one. Wake-up, meals, play, and bedtime should happen at roughly the usual times. Post a visual schedule on the wall with "storm day" activities, and check items off together.

Create a calm-down space. Choose an interior room or closet away from windows. Add pillows, blankets, a flashlight or battery lantern, headphones, and comfort items. Practice going there before the storm so it feels safe, not like a punishment.

Plan for the dark. Many children are more upset by sudden darkness than by the storm itself. Give your child their own flashlight or a soft battery night-light. Glow sticks and headlamps can turn darkness into a game.

Manage the noise. Wind, rain on shutters, and generators can be overwhelming. Use headphones, play familiar music on a battery speaker, or run a battery fan for white noise.

Ration screen time on purpose. A tablet can be a lifesaver, but the battery won't last forever. Use a visual timer and a first-then board ("First puzzle, then tablet") so screen time stays predictable and the battery lasts.

Prevent wandering. Storms change routines and stress can increase the urge to bolt. Use door alarms or chimes, keep doors locked, and assign one adult to supervise at all times. Standing water, flooded canals, and pools are especially dangerous after a storm.

Keep safety first. Never run a generator indoors, in the garage, or near windows. Install a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector. Keep candles out of reach, or skip them entirely and use flashlights.

Reinforce calm behavior. Praise and reward small wins: wearing headphones, staying in the calm space, trying a new food. Positive reinforcement works just as well during a storm as it does in therapy.

Evacuation and Shelters: Plan Ahead in Broward County

Broward County says the best option is to stay with family or friends who live outside the evacuation zone, and to treat public shelters as a last resort (Broward County). For an autistic child, a familiar relative's home is almost always easier than a crowded gym. Make that plan now, and visit that home a few times before storm season so it feels familiar.

Know your options and register early:

Find your evacuation zone on Broward County's emergency shelter map, so you know whether you will need to leave.
Vulnerable Population Registry. If your family plans to stay home, you can register online, by calling 311, or 954-831-4000 (Broward County). Registration is for planning only and does not guarantee help.
Special Needs Shelter. These shelters are for people whose medical needs go beyond what a general shelter can handle. Applications are reviewed one person at a time, and pre-registration is open all year at snr.flhealthresponse.com or by calling Broward County Emergency Management at 954-831-3902 (Broward County). Autism alone may not qualify, so call and describe your child's specific needs.
Transportation help. You can also pre-register for evacuation transportation through Broward County Transit or Paratransit (TOPS) as part of the special needs process (Broward County).

Always register before a storm threatens. Programs and phone numbers can change, so confirm the latest details on Broward.org each season.

If you do go to a shelter:

Show your child photos of the shelter building ahead of time and add them to the social story.
Arrive early if possible, when it's quieter and you can pick a spot near a wall or corner, away from doors and bathrooms.
Tell staff right away that your child has autism. Hand them the "About Me" card and ask about a quieter area.
Build a mini home base with a blanket, pillow, pop-up tent, and comfort items.
Keep the routine going with the visual schedule, regular mealtimes, and the usual bedtime steps.
Watch closely for wandering. Shelters are crowded and full of exits. Keep your child's ID on them and keep a recent photo on your phone.
Take movement breaks. Pacing, rocking, or stimming helps many kids regulate. Find a spot where your child can move safely without worrying about stares.

After the Storm: Getting Back to Normal

The days after a hurricane can be just as hard as the storm. Schools may be closed, therapy sessions canceled, streets look different, and power may still be out. It's common for children to show more meltdowns, sleep trouble, clinginess, or a temporary loss of skills they had mastered.

Rebuild the routine step by step. Bring back familiar parts of the day first, like meals, a morning song, or bedtime steps, even if school isn't open yet.

Prepare for what changed. Use photos or a quick new social story to explain fallen trees, a closed park, or a messy yard before your child sees them.

Expect some regression and stay patient. Skills that slip during a big disruption usually come back with consistency. Keep reinforcing the behaviors you want to see.

Let your child process it. Some kids talk about the storm over and over, act it out in play, or draw it. This is often a healthy way to make sense of what happened.

Get back to therapy as soon as you can. Contact your child's therapy team to reschedule sessions. Your BCBA can help adjust goals and add support if new challenges appear.

Take care of yourself too. Storm recovery is exhausting. Ask family to give you a break, and remember that your calm helps your child feel calm.

How Avant-Garde Can Help Your Family Prepare

Hurricane prep is a skill your child can learn, and you don't have to build that skill alone. At Avant-Garde Behavioral Therapy in Davie, our team can help your family get ready before the next storm by:

Creating a personalized storm social story and visual schedule for your child
Practicing tolerance of headphones, darkness, loud sounds, and new places during sessions
Building coping and calm-down skills your child can use anywhere
Coaching you through parent training so you can use these strategies at home
Helping your child bounce back after a storm disrupts their routine

We provide ABA therapy for children, adolescents, and teens with autism in Davie, Weston, Fort Lauderdale, and across Broward County. Have questions about hurricane prep or getting started with services? Call us at (954) 708-1661 or request an appointment. The calmest storm is the one your child already knows how to handle.

Hurricane Prep for Autistic Kids: A South Florida Family Guide