Haircuts can cause fear and discomfort for children with autism. Hair stylists, barbers, and other patrons may not understand what your child is experiencing and why they're behaving in certain ways. On MyAutismTeam, parents share tips and strategies for making haircuts more bearable. They include: Using scissors instead of clippers, asking stylists to work slowly and gently, bringing lots of earplugs, booking the last appointment to minimize noise, “and always having enough lollipops to last the entire session.” Many parents cut their child’s hair at home, despite mixed results. One mom chuckled about her husband’s handiwork: “He butchered our son’s fringe three weeks ago and it still looks like a flight of steps!” Another mom solved the problem by “choosing a longer hair style so we only go for a quick trim every so often.”

On MyAutismTeam, the social network and online support group for parents of kids with autism, members talk about a range of personal experiences and struggles. Haircuts are one of the most discussed topics.

Here are some question-and-answer threads about haircuts:

• My son doesn't sit still and doesn't like loud noises. There is no way he'd sit still for a haircut let alone listen to a buzzer next to his ear or even let someone cut his hair. Does anyone have any ideas?

• My kid is 10 and haircuts and hair washing is a huge problem. I have tried to cut his hair at home and he gets so anxious he will start vomiting. How do you wash or cut your child's hair?

Here are some conversations about haircuts:

• We took him for a haircut and it took the lady 45 mins to get it done because she had to stop and wait for him to calm down. Luckily she was very patient and understanding. Said she didn't care how long it took she would go at his pace.

• He did well for his haircut today...he tried to save the hair afterward but my husband caught him before it ended up in his toy box lol. What did he want the hair for I wonder?

Can you relate?

Have another topic you'd like to discuss or explore? Go to MyAutismTeam today and start the conversation. You'll be surprised just how many others may share similar stories.

Feel free to ask a question here.