A WIRRAL barbers is offering “out of hours” haircuts for people with autism.
Ashley, director of Northern Barber, located on Wallasey Village Road, and his team decided to offer children with autism a personalised hair cutting experience with the hope of eradicating the fear factor many face when visiting the hairdressers.
Ashley said he has had “a lot of experience working with autism”, with his previous job being at Autism Together. It was in fact this previous experience that made him think combining his past job with the present was such a good idea.
He said: “The service is open to anyone really, whether that’s a carer or a parent. They can bring them here and I’ll give them the haircut in the chair, the car, the carpark, on the floor, anywhere.
"Sometimes they just come, get a feel for the shop and go.
"It’s all about building that confidence and security for them and getting a relationship going.
“Hopefully this is just the start, and it will get other people doing it.
"I think it would be great to have the chance to educate other barbers on the issues and how they can support their customers with autism.
"I don’t want to make it solely my idea. I want it to be shared across the community.”
Ashley and his team won’t rush a customer, instead waiting for them to get comfortable and relaxed in their environment. They are also open to carrying out the haircut wherever the customer gets comfy, whether that is in the traditional chair, or the more untraditional car park.
He also hopes that one day, there will be a sticker in the window of every barbershop and hairdressers that signifies their ability to facilitate for those with autism.
Ashley added: “Not only is this an attempt to make a haircut a safer, more relaxing experience for those with autism, it is also an attempt to reduce the costs of haircuts, something that seems particularly potent in modern Britain. Therefore, haircut prices have been reduced to a standard £6 for those with autism.”
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