I thought I might get some advise from Some parents here. I was talking to Luke's Mum and she was telling when he has to have a bath she has to run the water before he hopes in, other wise he has a big tanty going, once the water has stopped running, he will hope in with out any problems, getting out is hard, he loves his baths, but once you mention that the plug is getting pulled out, his out like a flash.
Now haircuts, before Luke was 3, his mum use to take him to her cousins hairdressing business with out any problems, but in the last 18 months his mother has had to do it, with him screaming through out the time, its getting cut, mum was telling me its getting worse and last time she had to hold him between her knees, is this to do with sensory, if so what are other ways to make him no so stressed out. His only a small 4 1/2 year old, he weighs 12kg or 26 pounds
Ben is almost 7, and has gotten better about haircuts. Have you ever seen a black kid with a bad haircut? Got lots of patches all around. I've learned that I have to have everything ready to go, no fumbling for anythng. Also if his mood is at all off, forget the cut. I've talked about going to a barber, and gotten an adament NO! H'e rather sit for 1 few minutes and let me cut it. I'velearned to cut is hair in under 15 minutes. It's not all that bad either. If I take any longer, there are patches in the back, near the center.JanetMy son also loves baths but rinsing the shampoo out of his hair is a real problem because I can't get him to plug his nose or hold his breath. I started using one of those bath visors that you find in the baby section at stores and it works like a dream at keeping the water off my ds face. I give him two plastic cups to play with and he dumps water from one cup into the other and can do this for a very long time! That's when I get him all soaped-up and hair shampooed.
Haircuts are another story. We found a lady who can cut his hair super fast while my husband restrains him in his lap. It's quite a workout for my dh because Noah is ridiculously strong (he weighs 40lbs and solid at 2.5 yrs old). His last haircut went very smoothly because I gave in and brought a bottle of vanilla soymilk with us. He sat BY HIMSELF and drank his bottle and let the woman cut his hair with no problem. I'm sure it looked real odd to other people who saw a kid who looks five drinking from a bottle LOL. But hey, it worked and no one got hurt.
Thankfully, my son Luke never has had a problem with hair cuts or baths ... but it does sound like sensory issues (both perhaps having to do with his ears?? ... auditory for when the water is running and tactile for the hair cutting) Does your Luke wear a hat without a problem? Perhaps some of the solution is to slowly get him used to tactile sensations to his head and ears ... rubbing his head/ears gently with a towel, getting him used to wearing hats, brushing his hair frequently, etc.You know what Kellie? This is weird because my son can not stand hair cuts but doesn't mind me washing or brushing his hair or touching his head at all. Also he wears a hat when we go somewhere all the time. With Adam I believe it is the fear itself of cutting with scissors or clippers. He is the same way with his fingernails. I could brush them all day long with a hand brush but if I grab those clippers to cut them it is a fight..LOL
Karrie
Hi my name is Patty and I just joined the forum. I have an 8yr old autistic son and I go through the same thing at bath time and with haircuts. I have to have him stay in a different part of the house while the bath water is running because he can't tolerate the sound of the running water. His daddy cuts his hair and it usally takes about 2days to cut it.Adam has not had a real haircut in months now. I actually think I posted about the last hair cut. LOL It's so frustrating with my son being a boy with this problem because if he were a girl I really wouldn't have to worry about it. He is starting school the week of Aug 8th and I know that I'm gonna have to take him in to get it done and I already know that there will be a meltdown. This time however I plan on calling ahead and finding someone that will be willing to do it after I explain exactly what he will put them through. Wish me luck on that one..LOL
Adam loves baths though.
Karrie
Jeffrey was like that with haircuts. But he also didn't like you washing his hair. Still doesn't to a degree. I know when he went to his autism day treatment clinic I was told that this is not that uncommon. That with some parents it can take them up to three days to cut the child's hair. At that time they didn't say it was a sensory issue, they said it was a touch issue. Some kids just don't like being touched. And also it could be the sound they hear from the clippers or the scizzors that we don't pick up on. Now you could attempt to do social stories with them. There is a thread on here somewhere for social stories. Sometimes with Jeffrey I would tell him three days ahead of time that he was gonna get his haircut. Sometimes this worked sometimes it doesn't. I have noticed though if he is in a bad mood that day, don't do the haircut that day. Jeffrey also likes the bathtub but the water seems to relax him.
Tammy
I have had sooo much fun with the haircuts!!! NOT my son has the thickest hair and it seems to grow mega fast! Thank god I took Cosmetology when I was in High School so I know how to give haircuts!!!! But it is still a chore we used to use the High chair and cheeze doodles to preoccupy him but he is too big for a high chair now, so dad has to hold him on his lap with arms and legs wrapped around him. I cut away as fast as I can while he is thrashing, he loves to take a bath so he can play in the water with his rubber sharks but....when mom comes in to wash his hair he fights runs around the tub tries climbing the walls etc. I don't really know how to stop him from this so I give him a dry wash cloth to hold over his eyes and I follow him around the tub dumping water on his head!! Needles to say I look like I have just wrestles an alligator by the time we are done!!! Sorry I don't have any ideas on how to get them to comply and actually sit for haircuts and shampooing, but thought you would like to hear my story! Thanks,
Nita
I don't know if this will help or not but with my son my husband cuts his hair. While he's cutting I'm sitting on the other side of Matthew telling him what a big boy he is and what a good job he's doing. Also we do this in front of the tv with Matthew's favorite disney video running to distract him. He still gets really upset about half way through but I've noticed its because of all the hair that is on him (probably itching) and so now I've started to wipe it off as we are cutting and this has helped alot.My son Tyler is 8 1/2 and diagnosed PDD NOS in December. He has had sensory integration issues, developmental delay, non-verbal (blah-blah you all know the drill). Anyway, we have fought haircuts since day one, my sister-in-law (God lover her!) cuts his hair and he will sit, but is turning his head and screaming at the top of his lungs; it is better if I am not in the room. I think it is the buzzing of the clippers but he could get seriously hurt if we used scissors because he thrashes around so much. She does lots of positive reinforcement throughout and lots of hugs afterward.
Tyler loves the bath - his new thing is to lay on his side and almost sleep in the tub. I have to sit right next to him and tell him to sit up or at least lay on his back. I can only put about 2 inches of water in the tub. He is doing much better with letting me washing his hair and behind his ears. We also had a huge issue with cleaning his ears. He is doing better at that, too.
I don't know what else to do but do the cuts quick. We pretty much have this down to a science. He doesn't seem to take it any better on different days - his behavior is relatively consistent fri=om one day to the next, although he has shown some aggressive behavior lately and does not understand remorse at all!!!!!!!!
Tyler is happy and full of hugs for Aunt SHaron whent the haircut is done so I think that he understands that we are not hurting him and that we know he doesn't like it but has to get it done - kind of like having to get bloodwork done every 4 months.
Thanks. Cathie
Thankyou Ladies to all your replies :), Luke loves the Wiggles so I might suggest to his mother to cut his hair while watching the Wiggles. Luke does wear a hat, but its taken months for him not to take it off. Aparently at the Satelite Class(For Children with Autism) after few days of him taking his hat of they have never bothered encouraging him to leave it on. I just kept putting it back on and mum always tells him that if he has no hat, he can't play(Luke loves the outdoors). I also tell him that when I go outside I have my hat on too not sure if thats why he leaves it on or not.
Aparently Luke doesn't mind having his hair wash , just the haircutting, but once its over he is happy as larry and its like nothing had happen.
I'm lucky that Zach doesn't need his hair cut often, it's thin and doesn't grow fast. He didn't have his first cut until he was 2 yrs old. I only have to cut his hair every 6 months. Thank goodness he LOVES the clippers!!!!!! He giggles and laugh's the whole time and I laugh with him and he actually has a hard time holding still because it tickles! He hates, hates, hates, sissors though so we never use them. I do the whole cut with the clippers, which is odd since the clippers are much noiser and vibrate. His OT did have me use a vibrating massager on his head for a while to help with sensory and I think because it was a toy this might have helped. It has taken me up to two days to do a hair cut even with him LIKEING it! Just because he can not sit still at all. He hates his hair washed just like all the others but get this he loves the sprinkler and water in his face and at swim class he has become a dipsey diver, which is he will swim underwater with help from mommy, GO FIGURE!!! You just never know what they will like or not like. I'm telling you what each day is an adventure here.Hi everyone..
I already responded to bath and haircut issue but Cathie brought up the issue of ear cleaning. Ear cleaning is an ordeal from **** (you know where)
when My son was younger he's 8 now, he had quite afew ear infections. He doesn't like his ears touch in any way shape or form.