If you have a child with special needs or sensory difficulties, hair cuts can be an absolute nightmare. These strategies can help get kids ready for a haircut.
Desensitization
Removing the Fear of Sight and Sound of the Clippers/Scissors
- Slowly introduce the clippers/scissors placing them across the room and moving them closer as tolerated
- Once tolerated nearby, slowly introduce the sound by turning the clippers on across the room and moving closer as tolerated
- Present preferred activity for distraction during the introduction of the clippers;scissors
- Utilize vibrating massager to desensitize sound of clippers
Removing the Fear of the Touch with the clippers or hair
- Use of vibrating massager progressing from tolerating touch on arms and legs and progressing to tolerating touch on various locations of the head and neck
- Use of feathers and other items similar in texture to hair to play a game encouraging tolerating touch to different parts of the body including head, neck, arms, back, and ears
- Deep pressure/massage to the scalp
- Encourage messy play to help remove the fear of hair touching them
Use of Tools to reduce noise
- Use headphones or earplugs
- Turn on preferred music
Additional Strategies
- Use scissors if clippers still cannot be tolerated
- Wet hair instead of cutting dry hair
- Use something to prevent hair from touching skin
- Use calming strategies during haircut
- Weighted blanket/compression clothing
- Allow the child to play with a fidget or do a preferred activity
- Read a social story about haircuts prior
- Watch a video about haircuts
- Use rewards
- Step by Step picture schedule
- Timer
- Use a slow, fun, and non-pressured progression of the steps
- Establish pleasant memories of hair cutting and replace unpleasant memories
- Increase the frequency of task to keep pleasant thoughts in recent memories