Fazian climbed into the salon chair, looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, then grabbed a comb and started combing his curly hair. He was already getting comfortable.

The sound of a blow dryer nearby, a radio blasting music a few yards away from his seat, and the high school student cutting hair on a mannequin next to him — none of it seemed to bother the kindergartner.

After he was content with his combed hair, he put his teal headphones on and moved to a different hairstylist chair, seemingly eager for the next step, whatever it was. By the end of the morning, Fazian had it down.

After all the practice, which included having his hair sprayed, interacting with future hair stylists and more, his next haircut was going to be easy.

Which was exactly the goal of the morning in the cosmetology salon at Edward Little High School in Auburn.

The practice session was the result of a partnership between the CLIMB program, Lewiston’s in-house special education initiative, and students in the cosmetology and nursing assistant program at Lewiston Regional Technical Center.

The partnership is a boon to both partners. The LRTC students become more comfortable working with people with special needs, while the CLIMB students practice the often intimidating life skill of going to haircuts and medical appointments.

THE PARTNERSHIP

The CLIMB program is based out of Thomas J. McMahon Elementary School and serves about 50 students with high needs. 

As part of CLIMB’s intake process, educators talk with parents about the school-based skills they want their child to acquire, as well as the community-based skills that may be challenging.

Attending doctor appointments is difficult for their children because of the waiting and unfamiliar equipment and people, parents told instructors, according to Katie Colasante, multidisciplinary director of CLIMB. More discussions indicated that haircuts were a challenge for students as well. 

“There’s a large sensory component in it that some students love, but others are hesitant because they don’t understand,” Colasante said. 

Colasante and her colleagues connected with Casey Wright, the cosmetology program teacher, and Michelle Allen, an instructor in the nursing assistant program. Both work at LRTC, a high school program with classes at both Lewiston High School and Edward Little High School in Auburn that prepares students in the Lewiston-Auburn area for specific jobs.

Together, they came up with the partnership that brings students from CLIMB to the high school for practice with haircuts and doctor appointments.

“It’s really beneficial for high school kids as well in working with different populations,” said Colasante. “All of these kids live in the community, so if they stay here, live here, and have a career here, they might interact with the students in the future.” 

THE SUCCESS

When asked what Wright’s students have learned through the partnership, she put it simply.

“Understanding.”

“These students look like any other students,” she said. “You don’t know there is something that they might have a challenge with. The sound, or the noise. It helps (the cosmetology students) see how to interact with them by figuring out what works for them.”

Students in both the nursing assistant program and cosmetology program welcomed the CLIMB students with open arms. The high-schoolers let the younger students play with their tools, including the stethoscopes and spray bottles. They were allowed to go through the appointment at their own pace.

The high school students and teachers showed photos to the CLIMB students so they knew what to expect at the appointments.

It was clear that the younger students felt comfortable with the high school students.

Christina Pulsifer, a junior in the cosmetology program, said the partnership embodies what it means to be a cosmetologist: to help each other out and make the customer feel comfortable.

“When you can do hair, you are always going to be a part of the community,” she said. “This has helped me adapt to learning how to help people out with different abilities and disabilities and be more open to helping them figure out options when they are in the chair.”

The CLIMB students have had at least two visits to the cosmetology and nursing assistant programs this year. Colasante said that she’s already heard success stories from one of the student’s families.

“The doctor’s appointment had gone better than ever before,” she said. “He understood the steps and even put his arm out for the blood pressure cuff. It was a lot more comfortable.”