Barber walks autistic boy through first haircut in years
Haircuts are a pretty typical part of life but the mundane activity can be overwhelming for some people, especially children who are neurodivergent. Some kids have a hard time sitting still for the length of time it takes to get a proper haircut while others are overstimulated by the lights, sounds and feelings that come with a haircut.
Getting a quick trim may be much easier for some because it doesn't require the use of clippers which can be loud and tickle. Vernon Jackson, owner of The Gifted Event has become known for his ability to cut neurodivergent children's hair in a way that allows them to feel safe. The Gifted Event is a program Jackson runs from his barbershop allowing him to provide haircuts hair free of charge for the families of neurodivergent and special needs children.
Recently, Jackson uploaded a video that shows exactly how he walks his young clients through getting their haircut and it's really striking a chord with people. The barber is in his shop ready to go when a young autistic boy, Harry is brought in for a haircut. The boy has very long hair that's pulled back in a ponytail. You can visibly see Harry's hesitation along with the nerves of his mom, Brittany.
Scarlett Johansson GIF by NETFLIXGiphy
"He's had haircuts in the past but it was when he was much younger and definitely more into it but now even brushing his hair, washing his hair is difficult," Brittany explains to Jackson before sharing that Harry normally wants "no part" of clippers or scissors.
Though the nervous mom assures Jackson that she understands if the haircut can't happen due to her child's response, this didn't deter the man who has found these haircuts to be a calling. Before getting Harry in the chair, Jackson softens his tone while encouraging the boy to give him a high-five. It took some coaxing of a couple high-fives, a side hug and Jackson holding him by the hand to walk him to the chair. Every step of the way, Jackson asked for the boy's permission before doing anything allowing him to be in control of the pace of the appointment.
Once the boy was in the chair, even adjusting the height of the chair was a bit of a challenge when the barber moved just a little too fast. Jackson immediately noticed Harry's fear and asked to raise the chair at a slow one pump at a time. The boy agreed and before too long the cape was on and the process was starting. To get the kids to look down when needed, Jackson allows them to pick out one of the action figures he keeps in the barber shop. Harry chose Spider Man.
But before any cutting got started, Jackson prepped the boy on what was about to happen, "alright Harry, this is called a clipper. Have you ever seen it before? Do you want to feel it? Feel it. See how it vibrates? Do you want to feel it right here?"
man shaving the boy's hair
Photo by Jonathan Weiss on Unsplash
Jackson put the clipper against his own arm before putting it against Harry's arm, "That's all that does, it just vibrates, okay? It's all it does. Does it tickle? A little bit?" He then places the vibrating clipper in different spots on the boy's head asking him if it was okay. Once Jackson gets the all clear from Harry, he begins the cut.
While Harry keeps scrunching into his shoulders, he's allowing Jackson to not only use sheers to cut off his long ponytail, but to use the clippers to buzz the sides. The child's comfort level causes a woman who is attending the appointment with Harry to excitedly try to get in front of the pair to take a picture or video. This moment results in Jackson asserting a boundary for the boy and himself to keep Harry's stimulation level as low as possible in that moment.
"No, no, no. If you want to record, record from back there. I don't want you interact with him while he's still focused right now. You can record if you want to do a video. I just don't want the interaction while I got him calm," Jackson asserts.
At this point the bulk of the haircut is complete but he still needs to line up the back and edges while Harry is tolerating the buzzing, so Jackson offers the boy his hand while he cuts with the other. The end results are so amazing that while Harry doesn't speak many words, he can't contain his excitement, neither can his sister and mom. It's contagious as commenters also cant stop gushing over the patience of Jackson and the results of the haircut.
Someone writes, "as a special education teacher, YES YES YES TO EVERYTHING 10 ACROSS-THE-BOARD THIS is how you work!!!!!!!"
"He did soooo good. I love how he was slumped over in fear at first and then gained so much confidence and trust towards the end. You are so AWESOME," another shares.
"He looks amazing. And I love how you explained to them what you were doing and to give him space to have his own experience," one person gushes.
"I love how he stopped the woman because he knew, that might be too much right now. Not being disrespectful but being firm, for the kids own good assertive skills right there," someone else noted.
Harry's mom even chimed in with an update for the barber saying, "We couldn’t be more grateful to you for what you’ve done for us! Harry loves his cut and cannot stop admiring himself! Still cracking up over the hairdryer!"
The Gifted Event runs strictly off of donations in order to provide free appointments to the families that visit the barbershop. Anyone can donate a haircut for a family in need by going to thegiftedevent.com.