Barber watched autistic 7-year-old having a breakdown outside, so he moved the chair outside just for him

When Marco Conti, the owner of Marky Fresh Barbershop (@markyfreshbarbershop on Instagram), realized his 7-year-old autistic customer was more comfortable getting his hair cut outside, he immediately moved his chair to where he felt more at ease. Following the sweet incident in 2019, when several news outlets and the public began recognizing him, Conti shared a post expressing his heartfelt gratitude.

Brycen, the boy with autism, was confirmed to be a child on the spectrum when he was a little over 2 years old. As a toddler, he didn't have problems getting a haircut at salons until he was 3. The whole experience became just so traumatizing for him that his parents had to rule out barbershops completely and cut his hair at home, TODAY reported. However, shortly after Brycen started his first year in school, his parents decided to give hair salons another chance. "When Brycen and his dad came in, he felt super emotional, crying inside about to get his haircut," Conti said. He somehow felt Brycen would be more comfortable getting his hair cut outside, so he asked him, "What if we cut your hair outside? Would you feel more comfortable?" The boy agreed, and Conti, without a second thought, moved his chair into the open.

Though for Conti, it wasn't something extraordinary, and that he thought was bare minimum, Ashley Juby, Brycen's mom, was just super delighted by his gesture. "To have a company so willing to accommodate is such a relief on my end and my husband's end. It's pretty fantastic. I found if you reach out, there are good people that are willing to help you," she said. Conti, who has a soft spot for special-needs kids, opened his first mobile barbershop in Ohio to help such children, Nostalgic Grandma reported. Just like Brycen, most kids with autism have haircut anxiety. As per the report in Healis Autism Centre, citing research by Smith & Arbesman (2014), found that autistic kids are more likely to experience unusual sensory responses to any kind of touch and auditory stimulation. Meanwhile, his profound gesture to comfort his terrified customer went viral on social media, with people, especially those with special-needs children, appreciating him for his kindness.

For instance, @incandescent.aura commented, "Love love love love love it! Wow, he looks super fresh with that haircut! I had a family member with autism as well. It was small but specific things that would calm him or make him happy, so I’m sure that chair outside made a huge difference. Thank you for going the extra mile."

On the other hand, @keriannhunt shared, "His fear is so real; his expression breaks my heart! But so is your kindness and understanding. Your actions will help ease his fear and eventually give him courage! What a powerful thing!" Another user who goes by @stroke0519_rita on Instagram commented, "You guys are AMAZING! My youngest son has autism, and my brother does his hair with the help of my stepdad and the iPad. If I didn’t live in New Jersey, I would take my son to you. I bet this boy’s family was very grateful for what you did for their son. The world definitely needs more people like yourselves." Echoing the sentiments, a user who goes by @spausefamily on the platform wrote, "As a mom of a special needs child, this means so much. Not only did you make this little boy feel safe and honor his space, but you did more for that boy's parents than you will ever know."

You can follow Marky Fresh Barbershop (@markyfreshbarbershop) on Instagram for more updates on the barber shop.