'Special Sunday:' Jackson hairstylist offers free haircuts to children with special needs

Jackson hairstylist Chrissie Roché saw a need in her community.

After time spent giving haircuts to her now 7-year-old son, Takoda Shay, who is on the autism spectrum, Roché realized as a hairstylist and parent of a special-needs child she could likely help other parents.

"It was one time after giving my son a haircut, I just had this idea in my head I'm like 'Wow this is really hard. And I'm his mom and a hairstylist,'" Roché said.

She said she offered the services through a mothers group on Facebook.

"It blew up in a way that I can't even imagine," Roché said.

Hairstylist Chrissie Roché of Jackson gives Jared Scroggins, 17, of Jackson a haircut during a "Special Sunday" event Sunday.

Now she's been offering free haircuts to children with special needs for four years.

When she started the "Special Sunday" events, she worked at a salon with other stylists and would hold the event on Sundays because typically other stylists weren't there and she could guarantee privacy to an extent.

A typical salon can be "a big sensory overload," she said.

"There's bright lights, the blow dryers are going, usually there's pop music blasting at top volume, there's people carrying on conversation. And that could be really overwhelming," Roché said.

Hairstylist Chrissie Roché of Jackson and Alex Shrimplin, 10, of Jackson get into position for a haircut in view of Alise Shrimplin, 8, during a "Special Sunday" event Sunday at The Treehouse Salon in Jackson.

Now she has a salon of her own, The Treehouse Salon, at 108 West Adams St. in Jackson. She said she tries to hold the event on a regular basis on Sundays, but sometimes she'll do special needs haircuts on days other than Sunday.

It's something she said she's always offered for free. She said the cost to raise a child with special needs is very expensive compared to a child without special needs.

"I wanted to take just a little bit back that they didn't have to worry about. One more expense they didn't have to worry about," Roché said.

Jamie Scroggins of Jackson, mother of Jared Scroggins, 17, said it "means so much" that Roché offers the haircuts.

"I can't believe that he did so well. Jared really amazed me," Jamie said of her son. "He's come such a long way from crying and running away from me trying to cut his hair to where we are now."

Jamie Scroggins of Jackson hugs her son Jared Scroggins, 17, after he received a haircut from Chrissie Roché of Jackson during a "Special Sunday" event on Sunday at The Treehouse Salon in Jackson.

Roché described a bad haircut experience like being in a car wreck.

"It's kind of like once you've been in a car wreck, you don't really wanna drive where you've had the wreck or you don't want to really get in a car again sometimes," Roché said.

She said her son "just got into a good spot with haircuts."

Ryan Shrimplin of Jackson, father of 10-year-old Alex Shrimplin, said his son has been coming to see Roché since she was giving haircuts in Cape Girardeau.

"He really likes her," Ryan said of Alex. "Having autism, it's challenging to find somebody that he feels comfortable with. A lot of children with autism don't like to be touched or they're very sensitive to certain kinds of sensations."

"Special needs kids are here whether we acknowledge them or not," Roché said when speaking about other services available.

Alex Shrimplin, 10, of Jackson gets a haircut from hairstylist Chrissie Roché of Jackson during a "Special Sunday" event on Sunday at The Treehouse Salon in Jackson.

She said she wants to one day develop a class so she can teach other stylists ways to handle special needs clients.

But Roché said she doesn't exclude anyone and can be reach at 573-270-4585.

"If you feel like your kid wouldn't thrive in a typical salon environment, special needs or not, they're welcome here," Roché said. "Everybody's welcome and I'm never gonna charge for it."

Alex Shrimplin, 10, of Jackson and Chrissie Roché share a moment before Alex departs after his haircut.