Let’s break down what a haircut is to someone with a sensory disorder.
Touch and sound are two major triggers for sensory-sensitive people, these two things are also a huge part of a haircut.
You get your child to the salon, they drape a cape around them, this may be a fun kid-themed cape which sounds fun, but to them, it’s a non-preferred fabric around their neck also known as a trigger.
The hairdresser combs through their hair, runs their fingers through their hair, and uses scissors or clippers around their ears, all of this touching and the noise being so close to the ears could cause your child to go into “fight or flight” mode, cue the squirming and screaming.
A fun fact about the auditory system is that its job is to alert us to potential danger before we see it coming, for the majority of a haircut you have clippers, scissors, and a blow dryer making noise behind you and beside you near your ears but it may not be where you can see it. Typically our brain works with our auditory system to reassure us that we are not in danger in this situation, however, if there is a disconnect fear could be triggered.
Essentially you’re asking your child to sit with an unfamiliar person, with an uncomfortable cape around them, and have their head and hair touched and trimmed with loud tools.
It’s a lot!