This is how a barbershop can change the world for people with autism, ADHD

Just hair me out on this, it’s the story of how a barbershop can change the world.

“My daughter, Faith, is a neuroscience and cognitive science major. She’s taught me so much about mental health … ADHD, autism, depression, aggression,” said Joy Johnson, owner and operator of Cut’N Corners & Convos Barber Shop in Tempe.

“These things come up in conversations with my clients daily. I said, ‘You know what? Let me become an advocate for change, an advocate to help.’ ”

In the interest of transparency, I’ve been one of Joy Johnson’s clients for more than a decade. She’s probably my oldest friend in Phoenix, and I’ve been hearing about Faith since she was a kid.

Still, I was surprised to learn the 22-year-old University of Arizona graduate had started a nonprofit, A Pretty Smart World , and was hosting her first event at her mother’s shop this month.

Not just autism awareness, but acceptance

“Stim ‘N’ Style,” Faith Johnson said. “Everybody stims, but there are certain people who stim differently.”

She was using the language of mental health care advocates. “Stim” is short for “self-stimulation,” or soothing behaviors that are common among people with neurodiversity issues.

Faith Johnson, for example, said she has ADHD and that fidget spinners and other toys help her keep calm in stressful situations.

Her event provided free haircuts to kids on the autism spectrum and was timed to National Autism Acceptance Month. She’s planning another gathering on April 21 at the same location, aimed at adults.

At this point, mental health advocates say we know plenty about the existence of autism and other neurodivergences. They say it’s time we moved beyond simple “awareness” into a deeper phase of understanding and inclusiveness.

“I see how the world is able to look only at their disabilities, but not their capabilities,” Faith Johnson said.

“For me, why is it that people are continuing to overeducate them about themselves, but not wanting to accept who they are? It’s getting better. As we see now the language has changed from ‘autism awareness’ to ‘autism acceptance.’ It’s not about being aware anymore. We can’t afford to simply be aware of disabilities, it’s about accepting who you are.”

Faith's work overlaps with at-risk youth

Faith Johnson is establishing herself among a wave of young Black people who are transforming Arizona at a grassroots level.

Some are starting charities and organizing voter registration drives. Others are jumping into politics at every level from school board to statehouse.

Tameir Moore is another of these young Black leaders.

Moore is 25 and runs 4 the Luv Foundation , which works with at-risk youth, including people who are homeless. He partnered with Faith Johnson because the people they work with often have overlapping concerns. (He and I share a last name, but are not related.)

“I’m big on building community,” Moore said. “Just to bridge the gap and educate … I learned a lot just being a part of this event. I think that’s what today is about, just bridging the gap.”

But this new Black Phoenix seems motivated to solve the problems they see in their own communities without looking for help, not that they won’t take it when it comes.

There's a connection to kids' mental health

Laloboy Foundation , which connects families to mental health services for children in English and Spanish, partnered with Faith Johnson, providing a glimpse of the potential impact of their work.

It was started by Paolla Jordan and her daughter Meritxell Adria after Adrio Romine ended his life with a gun in 2019. Romine was Jordan’s son and Adria’s younger brother.

He was 17 at the time and had been communicating online with someone who was encouraging and coaching him on how to kill himself.

“We help families overcome the barriers that are preventing them from having access to mental health services for their children,” Adria said. “We do everything from financial assistance to counselling services. We just wanted to come out and spread the word so families could get that support, if that’s what they need.”

Jordan and Adria were the force behind a 2021 Arizona law that makes it a crime to give advice or encouragement to a minor who uses that knowledge in a suicide.

They’re pushing state by state in hopes that they can secure federal legislation that would have allowed for the prosecution of the person they blame for Adria’s death.

At 22, this is likely just the start

They’re also mentors for Faith Johnson and Moore, giving a glimpse of the potential impact.

And to think, it all started with a haircut, because without Joy Johnson’s shop, it’s possible that none of this would have come together.

“I have no words, to see this young lady at 22 years old just out here being a champion for those who are afraid to speak for themselves, who don’t know how to have a conversation to get help, it’s amazing,” Joy Johnson said.

“She’s teaching me so much. Every day, I’m just so grateful for her passion and creativity and the light that she’s bringing to the world.”

Now, just hair me out, because my guess is that it’s just the start.

If you go

• WHAT: Stim 'N' Style 2.
• WHEN: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 21.
• WHERE: Cut'N Corners & Convos Barbershop, 1740 E. Broadway Road, Suite 103, Tempe.
• WHY: This event offers free haircuts for neurodivergent adults and care providers who work in neurodivergent mental health, in recognition of National Autism Acceptance Month. It features a conversation about autism, ADHD and other neurodivergencies in African American and Hispanic communities.
• REGISTER: Click here or call 480-758-5882.

Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: This is how a barbershop can change the world for people with autism, ADHD