| For children with autism, getting a hair cut can be | | | | steps. The steps included having him understand all |
| a difficult experience. For their parents the | | | | of the steps of a hair cut, what it took to get to |
| experience is often painful and full of stress, tears | | | | the barber and the tools used to cut his hair. Now |
| and frustration. When my son was first diagnosed | | | | that he had this information we could start |
| with autism my wife and I struggled taking him to | | | | shaping his behavior. We also had to lean what |
| get hair cuts. We would often wait weeks past | | | | reinforcers worked best for Collin. |
| the time when his hair would look ragged and long, | | | | We already knew that clippers were a problem |
| just to avoid the barber. After learning some | | | | for him, so we discussed how he would not have |
| small tips and developing a plan, we now are able | | | | to use the clippers and that he would only use the |
| to get his hair cut without issue. This process | | | | scissors. This discussion included picture cards, and |
| takes time and patience, but is worth the effort. | | | | actual scissors and clippers so that he could |
| As a father of a child with autism I have been | | | | generalize what we were teaching him. At the |
| there and understand how difficult it can be to | | | | time our son was non verbal and we needed to |
| take a child to get their hair cut. I have been | | | | work on his receptive behavior and develop |
| slapped, scratched and my son has had a number | | | | communication skills through pointing, and |
| of meltdowns that have left me on the verge of | | | | eventually verbal cues. Once he had mastered the |
| tears. | | | | skills of identification the hair cut process we could |
| I recall specifically one time when I walked into a | | | | move on. The first reinforcer that he had in this |
| Circus Cuts and was relieved to not have any | | | | process was that he did not have to use the |
| people there. As the hair cut progressed my son | | | | clippers, a huge relief to all of us. After he was |
| melted down and after thrashing, scratching and | | | | able to progress enough, we began to take the |
| screaming I was blinded by hair, and the smock. | | | | small steps to shape his behavior. We would take |
| As my frustration grew I began almost yelling " I | | | | a step and then go home. Our first step was to |
| did not sign up for this" and at the same time | | | | talk about his hair cut and get him into the car. |
| look up and saw two families just staring at us | | | | When he mastered that without a meltdown, we |
| like we were from another planet. I was at the | | | | moved on taking small steps until we go him into |
| end of my rope and needed to do something. We | | | | the chair and finally able to get his hair cut. The |
| decided to use skills learned from our Applied | | | | amount of steps necessary will vary with each |
| Behavior Analysis team. The first thing we did | | | | child, but whether it takes a month or a year, the |
| was take data on the events that led up to us | | | | end result will hopefully be that your child will get a |
| going to get his hair cut and what scared made | | | | haircut without a meltdown, or at least the bad |
| him lash out once was in the chair. We knew that | | | | behaviors will subside. Today we can go get our |
| his behavior had to stop, but first had to | | | | hair cut with out incident. He still tells the stylist |
| understand why he had these behaviors. Once we | | | | "scissors only" when he gets in the chair. When he |
| did that we were able to come up with a plan. | | | | is done, he gets a lollipop (sugar free and organic) |
| This plan was to slowly get him accustomed to | | | | and we are off to our next errand or the |
| getting his hair cut buy taking it in very small | | | | playground. |