Haircuts for Special Needs Children

Chris actually found this article while he was at the doctor's waiting to have the stitches removed from his arm and was thoughtful enough to bring it home for me to read.  I wanted to share it with everyone.  I think this is great!  I'm planning to tell all mom friends in the Emmaus area with special needs kids about Accents Hair Studio.

Sanity-Savers: Haircuts For Special Needs Children
By Laura Putt, Editor, Lehigh Valley Family

For most parents, getting a haircut for your child isn’t something that is particularly challenging, after the first time. A little bribe to get them to sit still and voila! But for special needs families, especially those with Autism, getting a haircut may be an extremely stressful experience for both the parent and child.

Why? Autistic children are very sensitive to many sensory experiences that don’t bother most of us. The constant touching that goes with a haircut, the smells of the hair products, sounds of clippers or hairdryer are just a few of the many salon experiences that may offend their hyper-aware senses. Add on the stress of a new environment and new people, and the situation can quickly trigger high levels of anxiety.

So what is a parent to do? One mom I recently spoke with shared that she used to wait until her son fell asleep to groom him. Sometimes she could only get half of his hair cut during a deep sleep cycle, and would have to wait till the next night to finish. Most of us cannot imagine going to such lengths to perform what we consider a normal, necessary task.

Tracy Werkheiser, hairstylist and mom to a 12-year old son with autism, can relate. Knowing the plight of other parents with autistic children, she decided to take her knowledge of autism and couple it with her background as a stylist. In April, she launched Accents Hair Studio, in Emmaus.

Her passion is to help parents of special needs children get their child’s hair cut in a calming atmosphere – for both parent and child.

When I met with Tracy, it was clear to me that she has a great desire to help children, as well as their parents. She put thought and effort into every aspect of making her hair salon friendly to the easily offended senses that accompany autism.
The atmosphere of the salon really is serene. The walls are painted a calming beige, and the overhead lights are soft, a stark contrast to the harshness of most hair salons. So pleasing was the atmosphere – and the company - that my planned half hour visit morphed into an hour and a half!

Tracy sets her schedule by appointment only, eliminating that wild card of other patrons. Parents can feel comfortable with Tracy, knowing if things go awry, she has seen and dealt with many a meltdown. No need to be embarrassed or feel judged.

In addition, Tracy asks that parents plan on spending a good hour with her, to avoid rushing. She will be happy to wash the parent’s hair first, or comb it, to demonstrate to the child what will be happening. She encourages parents to bring security items for the child to use, and she also offers things to help counter nervous energy, such as lollipops, weighted lap pad, sensory balls, etc.

Another way Tracy works to make the appointment a success is to interview parents on the phone first. Parents can tell her about their child’s specific triggers, likes and dislikes. Armed with knowledge, Tracy can prepare the studio to the client’s likings. Does your child like a certain movie? She can have it all ready to play on her laptop when you get arrive.

Need more reasons to be impressed? Tracy will mail parents a visual agenda of the appointment to show their child in advance. This will further help to alleviate fears and demonstrate what will be happening next.

It was obvious to me that Tracy has a heart filled with eagerness to help others who are in similar shoes, in addition to a beautiful salon.

Tracy and her family have an amazing story which led her to this calling. They have only relocated to the Lehigh Valley within the past 2 years.

In 1999, the Werkheisers had a son, Brandon, who was born with special needs. The couple needed a good deal of help and the support of family, so they packed up and moved to Arizona to be near Tracy’s family. There, Brandon was enrolled in an early intervention program and received many different types of therapy. Tracy and Chuck worked hard to learn all they could about his special needs and provide as many opportunities as possible to help him.
Brandon did well until the fourth grade, when he started to regress. Tracy notes that while Arizona has a low cost of living and low taxes, the public school system leaves much to be desired for special needs kids.

The Werkheisers began extensive research on communities and school districts that were friendly to special needs families. At the recommendation of her sister-in-law, Tracy checked out the Lehigh Valley. Upon Tracy’s visit to the area, East Penn School District officials went to great lengths to show Tracy the schools and answer her questions. It was settled that they would try to move here as soon as possible.

At the same time, husband was offered a job locally. Unfortunately, to accept the job, he had to move first and leave Tracy, Brandon, and youngest son Dustin, in Arizona to sell their home. Eventually, they found a buyer and the family was reunited in the Lehigh Valley.

After a long, exhausting search, they finally found a home that was perfect for them. Coincidentally, the house had a business space attached, and Chuck suggested they convert it into a salon for Tracy to run her own business.

As they settled into their new life, Tracy befriended a neighbor who also had a son with special needs. Talking with her about the challenges of getting her son’s haircut gave her the final push she needed to specialize in working with special needs children. You can learn more by calling Tracy at 610-967-2055. Accents Hair Studio is located at 203 Franklin Street, Emmaus.

Wonderful!

Until Next Time!
Lots of Love,