Autistic child will not get hair cut

[lawson2009]

Hi

I have a six year old song who has High Functioning Autism and he will not get his hair cut.

He says he does not like going, he does not like getting his hair sprayed with water, he doesn't like the shears. I have said I will get someone to come to the house but he is adamant.

I caught him cutting his fringe the other day and he admitted it is getting in his eyes but still won't get it cut.

Does any one have any tips or ideas on how I can get him to just get it tidied up.

We found a special children's salon with DVD players and a sympathetic stylist and went when it was very quiet, this was about age 6, and he was pretty good first time there so we kept going. Sadly it closed after a couple of years so after that we found a friend who would come to the house and do it for a year or so then he graduated to normal salons aged about 9. He has AS, it was the sound of the scissors and pulling sensations he hated.

Would he let you do it? After a hair wash - so wet hair. Might not be the most stylish cut but would keep it out of his eyes.

Ds (6) is awful, I end up trimming bits off in his sleep.....

I haven't been able to take DS to the barbers since he was 5. I bought some clippers from Argos and do it myself. Our rule is that it gets done every half term/end of term holiday (in the summer, it doesn't get cut until just before school starts).

He's 9 now and my haircutting has improved immensely :o

He still doesn't like it but he sits in the kitchen with a child size poncho (off ebay) and a tablet watching a DVD. The fringe is the worse bit - he usually cries and it's always a bit wonky

My son was like this. He started going after I promised him a McDonalds after every visit. Now I just need to think of a similar bribe for his finger and toe nails...

My son is 4 and has asd and we just don't take him to be honest! Occasionally I will pin him down and give him a trim myself every 6 months or so but I'm sure the neighbours think I am murdering him and he ends up looking like a Lego man. There is no way I could even contemplate taking him to a hairdressers, he would scream all the way there yet alone actually get in the chair.

let him grow it.

We use Branleuse approach but ds2 is currently out of school so we dont's have any school rules to conform with. For ds2 though it is social anxiety that is the problem rather than sensory problems alone. Previously to the complete refusal he coped by not having the electric trimmers. He also cut it himself on one occasion to avoid having to go which was interesting to say the least.

How would he feel about letting it grow? DS now 10 has always found haircuts immensely difficult. One tactic was to have it cut v short at one visit which then meant it was ages before the next one ...

Also, DS has always come straight home and had a bath after a haircut, to get rid of all the loose hair.

Other than that, find the quietest, kindest most sympathetic hairdresser you can, and do whatever it takes! We had one who was a complete godsend. Interestingly, we recently got DS to go to a posher hairdresser where it was washed first. I thought we would have mayhem but he actually found having wet hair cut an easier sensation. So maybe that's worth a try?

You are not alone!

Or not!

Another one here who cuts hair when 4 year old is asleep. It takes at least 5 nights as he starts stirring so I have to stop. I have spent the last few nights trying to cut his fringe straight... Epic fail.. Will be trying again tonight..

Lots of interesting advice though on methods to try when he is a bit older and has more understanding!

Oh yes I do deep pressure first on shoulders. And halfway through.

I might time myself next time but it's probably about 6 minutes.

Our clippers are rechargeable babyliss ones. They cannot be seen by the victim or he freaks but they're much better than scissors!

My son is 5 and has autism. He is petrified of having his hair cut to the point I've nearly given up and occasionally give him his fringe a quick trim myself.

Last time I got our mobile hairdresser to attempt it, I was confident he would be ok. I prepared him for a week with visual timetables, YouTube videos and talking about it constantly. If anything the hair cut was the worst he ever had. He is so familiar with our hairdresser as she's a family friend but that doesn't help.

We have tried bribes, watching the TV or ipad. Nothing works 😞

It takes my husband to hold him on his lap and hold his arms (he loves tight reassuring cuddles) and me to try and hold his legs so he doesn't kick out. He is petrified though, he screams, sweats and trembles while having it done and it's so upsetting for us as well a him.

I've tried to cut it myself but he still goes mad.

He has white blonde hair and we live in Cornwall so the 'surfer' look suits him but he needs a cut before he starts year 1 and I am so nervous.

can you cut it yourself?

DD (8) won't go to hairdresser but let's me cut it. Bob length and a fringe.

would a longer boyish hairstyle you can cut yourself work for DS?

Cruel to be kind with my boy was my answer took him every week same time, same man same chair and eventually after a year he now tells his man how he likes his hair cut, all
I did to begin with is sit him in the chair, I also fed him sweets as they did it, certain spots he will not let them near still but is generally good now :-)