A haircut is something most of us take for a granted. But for children with sensory issues, a haircut is anything but an ordinary experience. That's why one Avon salon is providing relief for many families.
While clipping away, Sally Larsen is cutting through a great deal of fear for some. Larsen owns “Cuts for Peanuts,” a specialized salon with 40% of its clients on the autistic spectrum.
“They don’t like music. Sometimes they don’t like the lights. Spraying the hair on a child’s head is pretty much a no-no,” Larsen said, explaining the sensory issues some of her clients face.
Sometimes, children don’t like sitting in a chair while getting a haircut. 12-year-old Alex Dryden is uncomfortable wearing a barber cape and prefers to move around the room while getting his haircut. While he walks around, Larsen deftly maneuvers with her sheers cutting and calming.
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“I always say that I’m just dancing in here. So, I let the kids lead,” Larsen said.
The Drydens make the trip to Avon, all the way from Norwich. Cuts for Peanuts allows them to avoid what they say used to be a dreadful experience.
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“It was impossible,” Alex’s father Jim Dryden said. “It was a struggle to find anybody to get a haircut or even have someone come to the house.”
Alex’s mother Tamara said she used to have to physically hold him while he was getting a haircut.
“He was just getting a lot of anxiety with it, and we couldn’t do it anymore,” she said.
Not all Cuts for Peanuts clients are autistic. 15-year-old Corey Turken is not on the spectrum, but does have special needs and used to fear getting a trim.
“The sound of the razor would be a little off-putting. a little scary,” his father Scott Turken said.
On Friday, Corey enjoyed his time in the chair. What was once an anxiety-filled experience is now a calm one. Which, for Larsen, has been a goal for 28 years.
“It’s not just a job. It’s not just a career. it’s my life,” Larsen said.
Larsen’s services are so sought after that people come from great distances to get their hair done there. She said she has clients come from Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.
