My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

If your son has sensory issues, the problem has two faces: the fear of the unknown and the unpleasant physical feeling of scalp stimulation.

If he is old enough to run his fingers through his hair or imitate you, perhaps teaching him to comb or brush his own hair will help him feel more in control of the situation and more comfortable with it. Additionally, even if you don't feel that he's old enough to understand, try talking to him and asking what bothers him about brushing his hair. You might be surprised at the answer. One idea to try is to brush one stroke - rest and evaluate the feeling. If he allows you to brush another stroke, good; if not, you have at least begun the process of familiarizing him with the feeling if having his scalp stimulated by the brush.

As for haircuts, even "normal" children frequently struggle with fear over a first haircut. It is hard for a child to understand that cutting your finger hurts, but cutting your hair does not. It is also difficult for some children to accept letting part of them be cut away and disappear; these same children often have potty issues when the "poopoo goes byebye" in the potty. Beyond that, it may be linked again to the stimulation of the scalp, and he is simply uncomfortable with the feeling.

Discuss your concerns with your pediatrician, or with a counselor who is trained in dealing with autistic children. Ask your pediatrician for resources and contacts to deal with autism if you have not done so already. There is a wealth of information out there, waiting to help you, if only you have access to it.

Hope this helps! I know you are struggling with a difficult situation, and then even the smallest victories seem like major battles. God bless you.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

You did not say how old he is? Try a home hairdresser watching mummy getting hers done he will decide to try,she has to tell him step by step instructions. its easier to pick a longer style as the stress on him is too much and to do it without him knowing would be disastrous. Report It

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

Do it when he is sleeping.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

I understand that autistic children get scared easily correct? have you ever tried a baby brush? i'm not sure how sever your son's condition is but if he has high sensitivity to touch try a baby brush. you can let him feel it first if he can sense the softness. if not you can brush his hair with it without him hardly feeling it. and try some detangling spray just to be extra gentle with him.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

Does he have any games he enjoys playing with you. I know that in a child with autism this is harder than in a neurotypical child, but maybe you could use the hairbrush as part of a game- give me some examples and I'll try to come up with one! The ABA approach is, I think, hair brush, then treat ~(chocolate or a sweet), this can work if you are consistent and increase the time you brush before a treat as he becomes more used to it. Is he around when you brush your hair, make sure he sees you do it and make out like you'#re enjoying it- over enthusiastic noises and facial expressions to ensure he can read them. Try using a jig of his routine in the mornings, with simplistic pictures of ; washing, teeth cleaning, hairbrushing and then breakfast and make sure you always follow that routine- it might help him if he is aware that it is coming and can expect it.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

he is autistic and is very sensitive to certain things, so maybe you should try to make it fun for him somehow , find out what is fun for him by trying new things and when you find oout whats fund for him u should connect that with the things that he is sensitive to. try it.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

Identify his favorite cartoon character.

Tell him that if he has his hair brushed or cut, he would look like that certain cartoon.

Works on my cousin.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

Do it together.

Demonstrate and ask him to do the same. Offer reward if he complies. Try to use picture prompt cards with words "brush hair" and show it to him every morning and before he sleeps. He'll remember the action even without the picture in the long run. You may also use a chart with pictures. If he does the required self-help activity, paste a star or a sticker beside it. Use this daily and consistently. Count the stars at the end of the week or month.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

Don't know how old he is, but as it's in Toddler and Preschooler, I'm assuming he's quite young. Why not make a game of it and take him to the hairdresser's (have a chair and mirror set up ready for this) to have his hair brushed. The reward then could be that he then gets to be the hairdresser for one of his toys and the toy could then sit on the chair while your son brushes its hair. After doing this for a couple of weeks you may be able to extend the game to cover a haircut - eg a trip to the barber's. use the toy again - you might consider using a long-haired toy of some sort that the barber could have a bit of a snip at.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

You are perhaps adopting a confrontational policy, and this is encouraging his rebellion.

Instead, say that you think he should grow it if he want s to, and that you`d like to see what it looks like, and eventually he will tire of the idea.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

You have to slowly introduce this to him to make it less scary. Everyday when you brush your hair, make sure he is watching. Make a big deal out of how good it feels and how pretty your hair looks after. Also start by simply rubbing you hand down his hair to introduce what it feels like to have your hair touched. If you can find a book about it read it to him often or make your own. Make the book very matter of fact so that it explains what will happen. In the mean time, I would try brushing/cutting his hair while he is sleeping. Good luck.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

Everyone has something that they absolutly hate. Unfortunately with autism it usually goes a bit further. What ever he loves doing/eating/watching ect. Let him do it as a reward for brushing his hair. He will soon learn that after brushing his hair he will get a treat. Although having autism will mean this will have to happen every time (depending on the severity). You may need to practice your hairdressing skills! Or if you have a close friend or family member who will be able to cut your sons hair. It will make life so much easier and less stressful for both your son and yourself if someone he trusts is cutting his hair.

Good luck I hope I was of some assistance!

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

try and sit him on your lap and stroke his hair, then try to brush it gently. he's probably a bit scared of the hair being knotty. just try and do it gently because he might like his hair being stroked! hope this helps , take care

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

Well, I don't have a child with autism, but I do have a three - year - old son. Don't worry, I think most kids go through this phase. For the hair brushing, maybe he would like to do it himself. If you get him a mirror and some brushes he likes (my son will only brush his hair with a Spider - Man brush), he may be more excited about doing it himself. Besides, it's a great skill for them to learn themselves. As for the haircut, maybe keep his hair a little longer? Not long, but a lot of boys let their hair grow a little. This may be easier said than done, but maybe you could try to cut it while he's sleeping. Good luck!

PS - You probably know a lot more sites than I do, but I've always found www.autismforum.net very helpful. A few of my son's friends have autism, so I usually go there when I have a questions. If it's the autism diagnosis that's making the hair issue more difficult, I'm sure someone there has been through it, too.

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

Hi Hun ..my son Thomas is severely autistic hes nine now and hates his hair brushed and cut, there is no magical plan really but we keep Thomas hair short as we use clippers the sound drove him over the edge to the point he was shaking , so we brought the quiet ones and do it once every week well we did to started just so he gets used to it, why not try shorter hair for a while

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

don't know hun good luck

My autistic son refuses to let me brush his hair or to have his hair cut ,has any one got any ideas?

just calm him down, get a small scissors(one that he can't harm himself with) let him see it, hold it, get familliar with it - he is just scaredif you are going to use a hair clipper let him feel the vibration not only on his hands but everywhere, let him get familliar with the sound and feel to it, then you do this every day, try and cut a piece a week after you started and see if you need more time or if you can go ahead and do his whole head, and most important of all SPEAK to him thru-out every time he touches the scissor or when you cut his hair, he will get use to the routine after a while