Changing lives, one haircut at a time.
This morning I watched a deeply moving interview on the BBC with Matty, a hairdresser whose work supporting children on the autistic spectrum stopped me in my tracks.
Like so many families, I know first-hand the sadness, anxiety and frustration that can surround something as seemingly simple as a haircut. I will never forget taking my son, aged just two, for his first haircut. Despite my very best efforts to remain calm and reassuring, it ended in tears (his and mine).
The BBC interview, featuring Matty and a mother bravely sharing her family’s story, was a powerful reminder of the difference that patience, compassion and understanding can make. Matty’s approach, taking time, building trust, and meeting children exactly where they are, is not just good practice, it is life-changing for SEN families.
Stories like this matter. They highlight the quiet challenges faced by autistic children and their families every day, and they show what is possible when people lead with empathy and care.
If only people like Matty could be cloned, franchised and spread far and wide; the positive impact on families would be extraordinary.
From all of us at the Association For Families Of Independent Schooling (AFIS) C.I.C.
thank you to those who are making the world a gentler, more inclusive place. In this case, one haircut, and one child, at a time.
📺 Watch the interview here:
https://lnkd.in/e5MxH4mS
#Autism #SEN #SEND #Neurodiversity #SENFamilies #Inclusion #CompassionInAction #CommunitySupport #Education #DivergentSchools #AFIS
