How do I cut Ds hair?

[staryeyed]

We have managed to cut it about 6 times in his lifetime (he is 3). We tried to cut it just before his birthday with clippers but it was actually impossible. He isn't scared of the clippers we can run them up and down his body but if they touch his head he goes mad. I used to cut his hair when he is was asleep but he has ninja sense and when I start he sleep with one eye open. We tried to restrain him and do it but we cant keep him still enough. How do you all do it? It really needs doing its ridiculously long.

My autistic DS is an absolute nightmare about having his hair cut. Basically, when he was 3, it used to be a three person job - 1 to hold his arms, one to hold his legs and one to hold his head still. Luckily I have a pal who will come to the house and do it. Now he is 5, it is only a one person job but he still screams as if being tortured! One thing I did find helped a little was making sure he was wearing one of those gowns which ties up round the neck, and shielding his face, as the feeling of cut hair on his skin was I think part of the problem. But basically, it is a nightmare but he has to have it done so he has to lump it. He does look cute after a haircut though! Funnily enough, his Dad also hated having his haircut when he was a boy, yet he's not autistic, so I wonder if there's a sensory head thing going on from father to son.

We de sensitised him to clippers by buying a set then leaving them on in the room as background noise. We then took him to a proper barber who clipped his hair quite short. It wasn't easy the first time but he is lot better now. The barber held him down quite firmly - if it isn't an akward comparison , children can sense fear and uncertainty the way a dog can and will get worse - so a stranger who isn't afraid will get a better response.

I have a pair of unused clippers lying in a cupboard also, and had to bring ds away from barbers with half a haircut when he was little as the guy just couldnt do it. I eventually managed by age of about 5 to do it myself with scissors by sticking him in front of telly. As he was never allowed tv except on VERY rare occassions, and hairtorture sessions, he was able to get through it. Now 12 he has been successfully to the hairdresers twice, without a murmur. He has AS.

definitely side with letting the proffessionals doing hair cut. DS(7) would sound like he was being skinned alive when I cut/clipped his hair but since DH has taken him to barber he just squirms a bit - maybe it's male bonding/testosterone influence????!

DS (4) - AS

Hates hairwash, combing.

But will now go to have his haircut.

DH's cousin is a hairdresser (although DS only sees him at haircut time, so it could be anyone he has got to know). He has a little DVD player at his salon and DS takes whatever he fancies. He does watch it, but spends more time these days telling cousin all about it and interfering with the haircut. We started with Thomas the Tank Engine prob 2 years ago and he was so obsessed with it at the time that I think it was a safety thing for him.

He has built up some sort of trust tho, cause he will even let him spary his hair with water from a bottle thingy.

Ds wont let any unfamiliar (and even some familiar) people touch him so taking him to barbers is out of the question. I think we shall have to completely mummify him or sedate him

Ds1 used to be ok with the clippers, now he hates them. He tolerates the scissors so we sit him in front of a favoured dvd whilst DH trims his hair. The last time we took him to the barbers he kept trying to grab the scissors and then got distracted by the fairy lights that were hung up and wouldn't keep still.

Dd1 is funny about haircuts too. She is either fine about it, or screams the place down - and we never know which it is to be until after the hairdresser has started cutting

She is normally very clingy with me, and will glue herself to me for any unfamiliar/unpleasant occasion, and I can normally talk her through it, but haircuts is dh's realm. she sits quiet for him. Last time I took her (about 2 months ago), it took over an hour, with her screaming the place down, and me struggling desperately to hold her down

So, what works for us seems to be shocking her into submission (ie taking away her normal source of comfort - me).

We have also found that sheeither takes to the hairdresser, and lets them cut her hair, or bolts at first sight - no idea what her criteria of "nice" is when applied to hairdressers though!

DS1 can be distracted with daddy's electronic stuff, something good on telly and promises of icecream for long enough t either go round the base of his hair or attack the layers. Forget clippers, though and as soon as his fring is cut into, all bets are off.

DS2 is almost 2 and has hair halfway down his back. He's only ever let me make 3 or 4 snips, so I only ever touch his fringe. It does look adorable, mind. He's a real rockbaby!

My DS is currently awaiting assessment for ASD/Aspergers.

He is five and usually one of us holds him while the other just goes for it with the clippers. I must admit he has got better recently though. I can manage to do it by myself now, although he screams at the top of his lungs and I am sure the neighbours must think I am killing him. I bribe him with a visit to the toyshop and a present if he will let me do it. Its an all over buzz cut though and as for scissors forget it!

I hate doing it though. I am scared that in the future he will hate me for forcing him to get his hair cut when it scared him so much.

I wish we could hold DS down but he has got freakish strength for a 3 year old we cant keep his head still enough to do it.

I chatted up a local barber and started taking DS in every day ( well at least twice a week. We started with him just sitting in the chair for whicvh he would get a reward and worked up to babrber doing one or two snips - each time fallowed by a reward - until he graduated to hair cuts. i also try to rub/touch/massage his head as often as possible so he desensitizes.
he is pretty good now - it is just a square on his star chart and he copes well.

( still hates hair brushing though )

stareyed - Does your DS have an obsession/fav interest you could use to tempt (bribe ) him with ?

We go once a week to a hairdresser who used to work as a TA at a special school. We reward DS2 with fruit pastilles for each bout of snipping and he has a DVD running while she's cutting. She also refuses to charge me until she can give him what she calls 'a proper haircut'. Sounds perfect, no?

Afraid not. DS2 still squirms, shouts and basically makes it impossible for her to cut more than a few cms each time. She is convinced that it'll improve though, so I'm just going with it.

She is an absolute star by the way

Well - went today and had the idea of wetting his hair first. SO much better, I couldn't believe it. It seems to dull the noise of the scissors somehow, and of course you don't get the shower of little hairs.

So for the first time for ages, DS2 has a half way decent haircut .