Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – A Jonesboro woman is working to make haircuts more comfortable for kids with autism, one appointment at a time.
Mallory Baker is the owner and founder of Beautiful Acquiring Minds (BAM), a salon that provides sensory-friendly haircuts to clients with autism. She started it after seeing the need for children with special needs to receive haircuts that were comfortable for them. A traditional salon appointment, she said, can be scary and overwhelming, due to bright lights, sudden noises, and more.
The BAM building, which opened in 2024, is designed to be sensory-friendly. Clients are encouraged to roam around the building and play with toys before Baker and the client enter the salon space, which is its own room.
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In the salon room, clients do not wear a cape unless they wish to or have grown familiar with it. Kids are not forced into a salon chair either – if they wish to stand or sit on the floor for their appointment, they may. During the hour-long session, kids can take breaks if they become overwhelmed, allowing them to become accustomed to the haircut at their own pace.
“This is progress over perfection. We’re not trying to get a perfect haircut,” Baker said. “My goal is to have them be able to pick what haircut they want to get and be able to tolerate it.”
A licensed cosmetologist for 22 years with over a decade of experience in special education, Baker recently earned her master’s in special education.
Baker said she’s had to undo trauma from previous salons and works to rebuild trust with clients. This can look like placing her clippers on the floor so the client can see and get used to them. Baker noted this was part of the reason her sessions were an hour long: while the haircut itself may only take around 15 minutes, getting clients comfortable takes longer but is worth it.
She also uses applied behavioral therapy techniques in the salon, a type of therapy that aims to improve skills such as self-regulation, communication, and more.
“I don’t use blow dryers; I don’t use loud sounds. My clippers are the loudest it gets in there,” Baker said.
Seeing her clients progress through more appointments and become more comfortable with haircuts is “beautiful” and “magical,” Baker said. Since founding BAM, she’s seen about 100 clients, most of them children, but she also serves a few adults with autism.
“It’s very beautiful,” Baker said of watching her clients grow more comfortable. “It’s just beautiful to watch.”
BAM originally started as a service in which Baker drove to her clients’ homes to cut their hair. Since acquiring her building, she has transitioned her services to operate exclusively from there.
Having an option like BAM, closer to home, is important for the kids and families who need it, she said. Baker reported she once had a client travel from as far as Virginia for an appointment.
“Those kids deserve their identity, too,” Baker said.
To schedule an appointment, message BAM on Facebook or click here. The salon is located at 4803 E. Johnson Ave.
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