At Sports Clips in Charleston, Kaylen went above and beyond for my son Isaiah. Not just above. Above and beyond. Not just doing her job. Going beyond what’s required. Beyond what’s expected. Because she saw a child who needed more than a haircut.
Despite his fear of clippers and sensitivity to touch, she patiently sat on the floor with him, keeping him engaged in conversation and even letting him spray her with water. The challenges. Isaiah’s fear of clippers—the noise probably, the vibration, the sensation. Sensitivity to touch—which makes haircuts difficult because haircuts require touching. Two significant obstacles to getting a haircut. And Kaylen’s response: patience. Sitting on the floor. Engaging in conversation. Even letting him spray her with water—turning what could be stressful into play.
What could have been a stressful haircut became a moment of calm, trust, and joy, all thanks to her kindness and patience. The transformation. From potentially stressful—child with sensory issues getting haircut could be meltdown, could be traumatic, could be impossible. To moment of calm, trust, and joy. Because Kaylen showed kindness and patience.
At Sports Clips in Charleston. The specific location. Sports Clips—chain haircut place. Charleston. Regular business. Regular location. Not a specialized sensory-friendly salon. Just a regular haircut place where one employee chose to go above and beyond.
Kaylen went above and beyond for my son Isaiah. The recognition. Kaylen—the hairstylist. Went above and beyond. For Isaiah. For this child who needed more than standard haircut service.
Despite his fear of clippers and sensitivity to touch. The obstacles. Fear of clippers—many autistic children or children with sensory processing issues are terrified of clippers. The noise. The vibration. The sensation. And sensitivity to touch—which makes haircuts inherently difficult because they require close physical contact and touching head and face and neck.
She patiently sat on the floor with him. The approach. Patiently—not rushing. Not forcing. Not getting frustrated. Sat on the floor—getting down to his level. Making herself less intimidating. Creating connection.
Keeping him engaged in conversation. The technique. Talking to him. Keeping him focused on something other than fear. Building relationship. Distracting from scary parts. Making the experience about connection rather than just haircut.
And even letting him spray her with water. The play. The trust-building. Letting Isaiah spray her with water—probably from the spray bottle used for haircuts. Turning it into play. Letting him have control. Making her vulnerable in small way. Building trust.
What could have been a stressful haircut became a moment of calm, trust, and joy. The transformation. Stressful haircut—what it could have been. What it probably had been other places. What parents of sensory-sensitive children dread. Became instead moment of calm—Isaiah wasn’t stressed. Trust—Isaiah trusted Kaylen. Joy—the experience was actually joyful.
All thanks to her kindness and patience. The attribution. This transformation happened because of Kaylen. Because of her kindness—her gentleness, her willingness to meet Isaiah where he was. Her patience—her willingness to take as long as needed, to sit on the floor, to let him spray her with water.
The photograph shows them—Kaylen cutting Isaiah’s hair. Isaiah sitting still. Looking calm. Kaylen focused. Both engaged in what could have been traumatic but instead became moment of calm, trust, and joy.
Sports Clips in Charleston could have been just another place that couldn’t handle Isaiah’s sensory needs. Could have been another failed haircut attempt. Could have been another place added to the list of “we can’t go there.” But because of Kaylen, it became the place where haircuts work. Where Isaiah feels safe. Where kindness and patience transformed fear into trust.
What could have been a stressful haircut became a moment of calm, trust, and joy. That’s the power of going above and beyond. That’s what happens when someone sees a child’s needs and responds with patience and kindness. That’s Kaylen at Sports Clips in Charleston, sitting on the floor, letting a child spray her with water, transforming fear into joy one haircut at a time.