KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 — Handling children with autism may not be everyone’s strong suit but these kids are barber Darmalingam Manickam’s favourite clientele.
Clad in attire resembling outfits worn by American pop star Michael Jackson, Darmalingam welcomes children with autism to his Mr D Hair Studio salon with lollipops, toys and anything colourful to make them feel at home.
In fact, he has dedicated a colourful corner in his salon, which he described as “a fantasy paradise” for children with autism.
“They like being in a fantasy world. That’s why they get awed by moving things like fans, colourful building blocks and soothing sounds.
“So, I have turned my salon into a fantasy for them,” the 72-year-old told Malay Mail, when met at his salon at Bandar Baru Bangi recently.
Darmalingam’s love for children with special needs sprung from caring for his autistic sister, Malini, who also inspired him to venture into hairstyling. Malini passed away at the age of 45 in 2003.
“She loved when I styled her hair like Princess Diana and could listen to music for hours.
“I was her favourite brother and she used to get into my car first whenever we went for outings,” Darmalingam said, as he recalled his late sister’s mischievous antics.
“Even today, she is my muse, inspiration and guru. She and my wife were the ones who inspired me to learn professional hairstyling,” he added.
Darmalingam was formerly a civil servant with Jabatan Telekom Malaysia in 1974 and continued to serve Telekom Malaysia in 1987 after the privatisation exercise.
Though Darmalingam’s father was a barber, he insisted that Darmalingam should take up another profession and not follow in his footsteps.
However, with his wife’s encouragement, Darmalingam pursued a professional hairstyling course when he was 33 years old and practised hairstyling after work hours without his father’s knowledge.
After opting for early retirement in 2001, Darmalingam established his first salon in Maluri, Cheras before moving to Bangi in 2006.
His first autistic client was a four-year-old boy, who refused to enter the salon because he was frightened with the new environment. To pacify him, Darmalingam decided to cut the boy’s hair outside his salon while four other people were trying to keep the boy in his seat.
“He was resisting them with all his might but after some time, he calmed down and started playing with the fan and other items in the salon.
“Now, he is about 18 years old and he still comes to us for hairstyling. We are the only ones that he comes to besides his family,” Darmalingam said.
Darmalingam said some of the children have bitten him and the parents during their haircut sessions, prompting him to prepare a bite-resistant guard for parents when they place their children on their laps for the haircut.
“Sometimes, I return home with backaches and my fingers hurt so much I can’t bend them.
“But I still wake up to do the same thing the next day because being around these kids keeps me stress-free,” he said.
Fortunately, his son Sivarajah Darmalingam, 46, has joined his father to continue serving children with autism at the salon.
Sivarajah said since the children require time to adapt with a new environment, they do not allow parents to set appointments and encourage them to just walk in instead.
“Sometimes, they watch us cutting hair and become familiar with the tools we use and the sounds they make. When we fix a time limit, it disrupts their momentum to get comfortable in the new space.
“I have had people from as far as Kuala Kangsar coming here to get a haircut for their child because many barbers refuse them.
“The gratitude they show us is truly a blessing,” Sivarajah said.
Darmalingam, however, has no plans of retiring. He is determined to continue cutting hair for autistic children as a tribute to his late sister’s affection towards him.
“The toughest assignment on earth is to care for children with special needs. When you take care of them well, they will ask God to extend their time on earth with you,” he said.
