In these more enlightened times, many of us are perhaps more aware than ever of the challenges faced by children on the autistic spectrum and their families.
What those of us who don’t know someone with the condition probably still don’t appreciate, however, is the difficult reality of seemingly normal situations for people with autism. And one of those is getting a haircut.
A visit to a hair salon can be unbearable for such youngsters, either because their high sensitivity means the feel of the hair being cut is painful to them, or because they fear strangers or don’t cope well with the close contact required. Their parents, meanwhile, dread the impatience and judgemental stares of others.
All this makes the patience with which barber James Williams approaches the task of cutting their hair all the more praiseworthy.
Mr Williams – who is known as Jim the Trim – realised how important it was to give such children time and make them feel safe. He does whatever it takes to put the child at ease, even if that means getting down on the floor to do the cutting.
After becoming a hit on the internet and training a group barbers, yesterday he came all the way from his home in Wales to Paisley to cut the hair of 40 autistic Scots youngsters and train local hairdressers in the therapeutic techniques. The hugs and high-fives he receives from his clients – and the thanks of their parents - is the pay-off, he says.
Mr Williams should be congratulated for his efforts, which not only display an altruistic desire to help others, but also an enviable problem-solving ability. And we should perhaps seek to learn from his example; after all, making life even a little bit easier for a group of children that find it difficult to engage with the wider world surely benefits us all.
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