CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi barber is transforming the haircut experience for children with autism, turning what is often a stressful ordeal into a comfortable weekly routine.
For many families, a trip to the barbershop is a standard part of the week. But for Frankie, a local child with autism, and his parents, Brianna Gonzalez and Fransico Nesmith II, that routine was not always possible.
"With my son, we'd go to, you know, multiple barbershops and, you know, my son would traumatize, you know, us. It was hard on him, but it was hard on us. We'd leave in tears," Gonzalez said.
The stress of finding the right barber weighed heavily on the whole family until they met Jacob Espy at a local pet store. Espy is a Corpus Christi barber with over 25 years of experience and a personal connection to the autism community.
Nesmith said the moment Frankie sat in Espy's chair for the first time, he knew something was different.
"My son first walked in here is nothing like I've ever seen before. Like, I got super emotional because he didn't cry, he didn't kick, he didn't scream. It was just like they’d known each other their whole lives," Nesmith said.
Espy accommodates his clients by keeping sharp tools out of sight to avoid triggering anxiety.
"I've actually purchased clippers that are a little quieter for these kids in particular," Espy said.
"You just got to treat them just like any other kid. You know, one thing about autism is the thing you got to do is just really pay attention to their needs. You know what I mean? You got to be patient," Espy said.
Word of Espy's approach travels fast. He now has nearly 30 autistic clients, with most coming through referrals from one parent to another. For Frankie, the visits have become much more frequent.
"Before it was every other two to three months... now he's getting a haircut every week like a normal person would be," Nesmith said.
"Are we going to go get a haircut? Are we going to see Mr. Jacob? And I'm like, yes we are," Gonzalez said.
During Autism Awareness Month this April, Espy's message is simple: children with autism deserve the same experiences as everyone else.
"You know, you see some of these kids out in public and they think something's wrong with these kids. Like, no, they're just autistic kids dealing with the everyday stuff that they deal with. And there's nothing wrong with them. You know what I mean? We just need a little bit more education with autism awareness. And that's all we're trying to do here," Espy said.
"Mr. Jacob changed our lives," Gonzalez said.
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