MYAUTISMHUB × GUIDING STARS · OUT & ABOUT
Make space for a haircut that feels safe.
Haircuts can involve close touch, buzzing, loose hair and a busy room. Plan the experience around your child’s comfort, communication and control.
STYLE
one small step.
Before
Make the place, person, tools and ending familiar.
- Ask for a quiet time, smaller salon or home visit.
- Take photos or watch the haircut from a safe distance.
- Explore a comb or cape if your child wants to. An adult can show cutting tools from a safe distance; keep blades and powered tools out of a child’s reach.
During
Keep the sequence short and the sensory load adjustable.
- Use a mirror, visual timer and clear warnings before touch.
- Offer headphones, a familiar cape, fidget or video if helpful.
- Keep feet supported and agree a stop or break signal.
After
Finish in a way that helps the body recover.
- Blow or brush loose hair away before dressing.
- Offer a preferred calming activity and quiet transition.
- Record what helped for next time.
THE CUTTING PATH
Choose the next small step.
Tap a card when you have practised it or agreed the plan.
A shorter haircut, a partial trim, a different tool or no cut today can all be meaningful steps.
MY HAIRCUT CARD
Tell the hairdresser what helps.
Use your child’s words, pictures, gestures or communication system. The person cutting hair should know how to warn, pause and check in.
IF TODAY IS NOT THE DAY
Trust is more important than a perfect cut.
Stop if distress is rising. Do not hold a child still to complete the haircut. Try a smaller step later, change the setting or ask an occupational therapist for individualized sensory support.
Keep the next visit easier.
Write down the time of day, tools, touch, sounds, products and recovery choices that worked—or did not work.
Explore support pathways ↗WHY THESE IDEAS ARE HERE
Evidence-informed, child-specific.
This guide adapts NHS sensory-processing and hair-care guidance on visual schedules, familiarisation, clear time limits, tools, loose hair, supported seating and sensory adjustments.