Hair Cutting Tolerance

For many children with autism, hair cutting can be a stressful experience. It is thus common to hear of creative ways around this, such as cutting a child’s hair while he is asleep. However, such practice will unlikely sustain in the long term. Like many other tolerance concerns that children on the spectrum might have, we can desensitize this fear through a Tolerance to Hair Cutting programme. Here we provide you a step by step guide on how to implement this.

Google Image

 

 

What you will need:

 

1. Social Story on Hair Cutting

2. Video Model on Hair Cutting

3. Hair Cutting Equipment: Scissors, Cape, Spray Bottle, Mirror (for Mock Practice)

 

Step 1: Preparing a Social Story

 

A Social Story is a narrative of an event that is going to take place. It is a common strategy employed with children with autism. Points to include when developing a Social Story are what would take place during hair cutting, the expected behaviours and the reward component. Visual illustrations should be used to support better understanding. Here is an example of a Social Story:

 

 

A Social Story should be prepared well in advance prior to the hair cut. Depending on the child, some may take a longer time for desensitization.

 

Step 2: Video Model

 

After reading the Social Story to the child, you could show your child a video model of someone having a haircut. This video model can be made by you with help from family members. Siblings often serve as good models for children with autism. In the video, remember to highlight praise for the child for trying.

 

Step 3: Practice

 

It is now time to practice. With the materials listed above, set up a mock hair cutting session. It is important that you keep the child successful. Hence, initial mock practices should be easy and short. This can then gradually increase as the child adapts to the situation. Here are some pointers.

 

- Snipping from afar for 5 seconds

- Snipping from afar for 10 seconds

- Snipping from afar for 20 seconds (gradually increasing up till 15 minutes)

- Snipping a cm of hair

- Snipping a longer strand of hair

 

Remember that these are just pointers. Adapt these to suit your child’s needs. For example, a child with an intense fear for hair cutting may require an initial step of tolerating the scissors. Other times, you may have to arrange a few visits to the barber shop, each increasing in time spent there.

 

The key is to create an enabling and successful environment for the child. Teach the child coping strategies such as watching a video while having a haircut. Or this could be reading a book or singing a song. 

 

It is of utmost importance to continually praise the effort that the child is showing.

 

Step 4: Big Day

 

The three steps above will prepare your child for the big day – the day he gets an actual hair cut. Predictability is key so utilise a calendar for countdown. However be flexible and assess the situation to suit the child’s needs.

 

Earlier we spoke about the reward component. Hence, in addition to the little rewards throughout for effort, the child must be rewarded on the big day. This reward has to be of value to your child. Hence it would vary from having ice cream to getting a new toy to a big cheer. Also remember that it is crucial to reward the effort regardless of outcome.

 

We hope that these guidelines are useful for you to support your child with having a haircut. Make this as fun a process as possible for the child. Finally, always praise the effort!


Written by:
Charmaine Koay
Supervisor Intern, EAP Malaysia