Home Haircut Tips and Advice for People with Autism

My hubby and I decided to save ourselves some money by buying a set of hair clippers, and went down to the mall to the Shaver Shop. They were selling some hair clippers for $10 with another purchase. I purchased a bikini line clipper for $20, and in total we spent $30.

Don't get me wrong, trying to save money by cutting the kids' hair is not stress free - they keep wriggling, and the younger one kept dropping various expletives and told me he couldn't bear the clippers' power cord near him, kept telling me how much pain he was in, and kept fussing around and screaming that he was itchy.

Whenever the hairdresser cuts their hair, they are perfectly behaved. I figure they probably know me pretty well, so they feel comfortable enough to lose composure with me, but not the hair dresser.

To cut hair - invest in some clippers, that is a given, or at least a good pair of scissors. To minimise the pain - ensure you have a good cape, or an old sheet. I would also recommend mixing a small amount of conditioner with some water into a plastic spray bottle that you have purchased from the dollar store to spray over the child's hair to minimise the tugging and fussing that occurs when their hair is knotty and not too nice. A wide tooth comb would also be useful to help remove knots, and then a fine comb to assist in cutting the hair.

I also borrowed a book from the library called Cutting Your Family's Hair by Gloria Handel. Another good book with some excellent techniques is Scissors and Comb Haircutting: A Cut-by-Cut Guide for Home Haircutters.

I don't promise that your results will be perfect - but with practice you are likely to improve; and there is always the option of the number one step to cut it all off.

Try to go slowly and patiently - this will minimise the risk of cutting off too much. You are better off cutting a little at a time rather than going right into it. Once it is cut - that is it, you can't put it back, and you have to wait for it to grow back - which takes a few weeks.

With a child with Autism or Aspergers, you do have somewhat of a battle, depending on what kind of day that they have had at school. I cut my kid's hair after they had been out having fun with their disability support worker.

A little bit of bribery goes a long way also - to my younger one - I promised him an ice block after he was finished - I know this is not the most ideal thing to do, but when one is faced with a desperate situation and the hair does need to get cut - use your best judgment for your own child's situation.

My two children do object very much to having their hair cut - they would prefer nothing more than to leave it alone totally. For the sake of hygiene though, and to minimise maintenance, I prefer to keep their hair short. They don't like having their hair combed, so the shorter style tends to lend itself to not having to be much of a fussy hair cut to groom and style.

After the ordeal, both of mine head straight into the shower. Cutting each one's hair took me about 15 minutes, so that gave the first one long enough to wash his hair out and get all the hair off him (still had hair all over him even with a cape because he fidgeted so much). He is a reliable hair washer, so I pretty much leave him to his own hair, but my younger one doesn't tend to rinse his hair out properly, so I have to go and assist him.

He doesn't like it much having me wash his hair either. It has always been a fairly big battle to keep their hair reasonably neat and tidy. Nits are my worst enemy, but that is another post altogether.

I remember the occupational therapist saying to me that a lot of her young autistic clients would have their hair grown really long, and then their parents would have to clipper it all off to almost bald, such was the ordeal of having their hair cut.

She said that it was not the most ideal situation however, as it leaves the child looking quite severe - my sister-in-law, a teacher, told me that children who have their hair shaved really short get picked on at school because they look like they have had nits, and get victimised. Some children however like this style, as it suits them, and for those who are confident with their style and individuality - be flexible in allowing a child to have a say in what style they want their hair in.

I had the situation recently where my eldest son decided he wanted to cut his hair because his fringe was growing into his eyes and annoying him, so he cut his hair off in the taxi. When he came home, I had to clipper it all off, and it took a good number of weeks to grow it back.

So probably keeping hair clean as you can, often as you can, and groomed as best you can will see you through. Sometimes the at home hair cut is less stressful than having to take a child out to the mall. Sometimes you have the option of a hairdresser who comes to your home, so look at your options.

I would advise the least stressful option, and the one that you can best afford.

Hair cutting is one of those things of living with autism that can be quite tricky - because of the sensory integration dysfunction - but you make the best of a situation with the tools and resources and comfort level that you have.

If you or your child do experience significant distress when it comes to having your hair cut, groomed or washed, it may be a good option to seek the advice of an occupational therapist who can recommend some effective techniques to minimise discomfort.

I am off to go and de-stress, after having done some hair cutting this evening, LOL.