Source: Jennifer McCafferty
There are
children with autism out there who, when given the required attention, can be totally fine and totally make you smile.
Jennifer McCafferty’s 4-year-old autistic son Isaiah always had trouble getting a haircut — but then hairdresser Kaylen stepped in, sat down and handled it beautifully.
And this
haircut story has gone absolutely viral after McCafferty shared it on Facebook. It occurred in Charleston, South Carolina at a barbershop called Sports Clips.
Isaiah, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, began melting down the moment he sat in the chair — a common occurrence for him, wrote his mother on Facebook on December 29.
“He needs you to focus every ounce of attention you have on him,” McCafferty told Yahoo Beauty. “He
needs to find his quiet, safe space, and he needs you to bring him there.”
And employee Kaylen, unfazed by his screaming, was patient with him and didn’t give up — taking to the floor and propping him on her lap as she cut his hair, chatted with him and even letting him spray her with her water bottle.
“Autism can be so very, very hard, but people like this make our days just a little easier,” wrote McCafferty on Facebook in a post that has almost 100,000 shares.
McCafferty told Your Daily Dish that she had no idea this story would blow up the way it did, but she’s happy it has because Kaylen deserves the recognition and hopes her kindness will inspire others.
“It’s also getting people to talk about Autism Spectrum Disorder and other disabilities, which is so important,” she said.
Although her son doesn’t notice the attention, her and Kaylen are blown away by all of the love.
And, McCafferty delightfully told Your Daily Dish, “Isaiah and his older brother, Alex, will be customers of Kaylen for life.”
