The haircuts at home took place on our deck. We'd rather not end up like the family in this story: click here. Our amazing hairdresser (our friend really, but for the sake of anonymity we'll call her 'the hairdresser') came to our house for each haircut since. The first took place in a salon and we, along with the other patrons, were treated to a meltdown of biblical proportions. Kate had a handful of haircuts before today. It must run its course and we do our best to help keep our child and others safe during one of these episodes. Our children often cannot and will use stimming as a self-regulating tool until even that does not help. It cannot be solved by giving the child what they want, like a tantrum. Yes, you've felt sensory overload before, too, but the difference is, YOU can regulate yourself. A meltdown is usually sparked by an overload of sensory input. Trust me when I say a meltdown is not a tantrum.

Unfortunately, a trip to the salon can result in a meltdown for some children on the spectrum. And lastly, because communication is often impaired in children with autism it can be very difficult to explain the concept of getting a haircut even with social stories, signs and modelled behaviour. Thirdly, children with autism often experience levels of anxiety that make a visit to the salon very difficult. They may fully believe that getting their hair cut will hurt. So, the simple stroke of a hairbrush can be very uncomfortable and even painful for a child who would be known as a sensory-defender. First let me explain a little about why haircuts can be so hard for children with autism spectrum disorder.įirstly, our children, very often, have sensory processing issues. Until today, she did not let us brush her hair and a proper haircut was out of the question. If you had asked me what Kate's greatest sensory discomfort was, I would have said it was related to her hair. If you would like to sponsor a child you believe to be a Tiny Superhero please click here. These little capes make a big difference. You can see how serious Grace takes her new superhero status in the photo below. What struck me as they played with their capes, is that they really felt stronger, stood taller and smiled bigger with those capes on. They are beautifully made and there was a special note attached for each girl. The capes came in the mail today and, as you can see from the photos and the video below, our girls adore them. I also wrote a little note about my two little superheros and was surprised to receive a note letting me that Super Kate and Super Grace would soon be receiving capes of their own. This little business made me smile and I immediately donated $30 so that a child somewhere might receive one of these cool superhero capes. Their tag line, 'EMPOWERING EXTRAORDINARY KIDS – ONE CAPE AT A TIME!' says it all. Not long ago, a reader introduced me to Tiny Superheroes. Tiny Superheroes is a small business run by a mom who makes superhero capes for children facing extraordinary circumstances.

Jibber jabber fun care