She’s A Hairdresser On A Mission To Provide Sensory-Friendly Haircuts To Children Who Need Them Using Her Mobile Salon
Some people sometimes forget just how difficult small, everyday tasks and activities can be for people with sensory issues or sensitivity.
For instance, if a child has sensory issues, Autism, or sensory processing disorder, something like getting a haircut can be a very triggering or challenging experience.
One hairdresser is working hard to help give those children a better experience in the stylist’s chair through her mobile salon, Peace & Love Studios.
Angelica “Jelly” Robinson is a hairstylist who realized she had a passion and gift for cutting children’s hair from a young age. The child of two hairstylists, she grew up in salons and would offer to style her classmates’ and cousins’ hair for fun.
Then, while she was a student in hair school, she was one of the only people in her class willing to cut children’s hair.
When she noticed some children had difficulty sitting in her chair, and some were afraid of getting their haircut for one reason or another, she set out on a mission to change that experience and make it fun for them.
After graduating from hair school, Jelly learned more about working with children as she was hired at a children’s salon. She took a training class with a program run by the foundation Autism Speaks to learn more about helping children with the disorder.
She did a lot of research and spoke with families to understand sensory issues and sensitivities to develop her training further.
Jelly is said to have a natural gift for making children, especially those with special needs and certain sensitivities, feel comfortable and safe while getting a haircut. So, she decided to open a mobile salon, which she named Peace & Love Studios so that she could offer her special services to children all over.
petrrgoskov – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
The salon is located in a big van that Jelly calls “Big Blue” and can be driven to meet these children at home or wherever they feel most comfortable getting their haircut.
In the mobile salon, Jelly can provide children with the unique and personal resources they need to get through their haircut safely and securely in an environment that promotes fun and inclusivity.
When she started running Peace & Love Studios, Jelly created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for upkeeping the mobile salon and purchase things like gas for the truck, training supplies and materials for new barbers, toys, candy, and sensory items for the kids, and free haircuts for those who cannot afford them.
The Peace & Love Studios GoFundMe page has reached over $31,000 in donations, and helpful citizens continue donating to help Jelly on her journey. Today, Jelly’s been named a GoFundMe Hero.
If you’d like to learn more about Jelly and Peace & Love Studios or make a donation, you can visit her GoFundMe page here.
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