St Leonards' cutting edge salon is autism friendly

Daniel enjoying having his hair cut for the first time at Holly's salon SUS-180328-173513001

Hairdresser Holly Blakeley says her salon, based at Battle Road, has had many great prizes donated for the raffle and fully supports the National Autistic Society ((NAS)). “We’ve raised £135 for our raffle so far,” she said. “Since having children with ASD it’s opened my eyes to the world.

“People don’t understand enough and it can end up being isolating. We are lucky to have supportive friends and family but not everyone does. The charity helps support families. I joined the local Bexhill branch of the NAS and it was the best thing I did. The girls who run it are lovely. It’s lovely to have extra people who really understand.

“The salon is now fully autism friendly and it has been a huge success! I’ve turned all the negatives into positives and want to help as many people as I can. I feel raising enough awareness about it will change the future of our babies.”

The National Autistic Society is a British charity for people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), including autism and Asperger syndrome. The purpose of the organisation is to improve the lives of people with autism in the United Kingdom.

Holly says with patience and understanding the youngsters, like Daniel (pictured) who go to her salon for a haircut are having a stress-free experience “We need more people to be educated so if your child has been hurt by a child on the spectrum don’t lash out at parents, try and learn about it. Educate your child on how to be around a child with ASD. Slowly raising awareness small steps at a time.” Visit: www.autism.org.uk