This Photo of a Barber and His Client With Autism Is Going Viral For All the Right Reasons

Fauve Lafrenière has been taking her son Wyatt to the same barbershop since it opened two years ago, but this isn't your average haircut — barber Franz Jakob goes above and beyond for her 6-year-old son with autism. People all over the world were stunned to see the photo above, which recently went viral on Imgur, showing Franz on the floor beside Wyatt, giving him a trim.

Franz works at Authentischen Barbier, a vintage barbershop located in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, but at the end of each day, he locks the doors and closes up shop to get ready for his customers who need his undivided attention. For Wyatt, his youngest customer with autism, that means following him around the salon with his tools and even lying down on the floor.

The skilled and patient barber told CBC that he spends more than an hour with each of his young customers. The vintage shop's uplifting atmosphere, plus the loads of candy within reach, can work wonders for calming a young child who is sensitive to haircuts.

For Franz, "it's all part of customer service," but for Wyatt's mom, Franz is "an everyday hero." She told the radio station that Franz "takes care of everything."

"Usually hairdressers sort of panicked when they saw Wyatt arrive, so it was really exceptional to meet Mr. Jakob," Fauve said. "He welcomes him like his best friend. To see that he accepts these differences is just fantastic."

She hopes that this photo of Franz and Wyatt can help spread awareness about autism and how simple tasks like a haircut really require a sensitive approach.