Chewing on Clothes, Hands.......

I've got a sensory kiddo too, and he's suddenly back to shoving his hands in his mouth and chewing his fingers again. I thought we left that behind a year ago!

We don't have a "chewy" for him, but I've seen other children using them. One child (age 10 or 11?) hand one on a short leash, almost like a binky-tether but in dark blue or black, attached to his shirt collar. I thought he was chomping on gum for a minute until I recognized the yellow chewy in his mouth and then noticed the short tether that would kept it from being lost if he dropped it.

You can find what you need at "Sensory University":
http://www.sensoryuniversity.com/ORAL-MOTOR-FEEDING_c6.htm

Check out the store at www.headsupnow.com. There are many therapies and toys for kids with sensory disorders who like to chew etc. You might find something he'll like that'll give his clothes and hands a much needed break. He may even be able to use them at school. Click on "products" on the tool bar for access to the entire store.

Or click on this to get products for "oral/sensory" products. The chewy pen tips might be good for school for instance, but there are other things:
http://www.headsupnow.com/products-page/speech-oral-sensory/

This did not happen to us personally, but we have friends whose son was seeing an OT for upper body coordination issues too. He did not show the intense sucking and chewing need that your son does -- but the OT and his parents realized he could concentrate much better if he chewed at the same time he did other things, including schoolwork. As part of his written "individualized education plan" with the school, the OT recommended that he be allowed to chew in class, and the school had to say yes since it was an OT recommendation. Rather than chewing gum, which would have made every other kid go nuts with desire to do the same, he chewed specially made items (his mom called them "chewies") that OT therapists can provide. Ask the OT about whether it might help your son to chew something acceptable for chewing whenever he feels the urge to chew, bite and suck other things. And if he does not already have a written (and enforceable!) individual educational agreement with school (which means they have to accommodate him in certain ways), talk to the school about how to get one drafted ASAP.

If he's getting his OT services through school, also, consider whether he might need additional OT or other services outside school and more often.

One last thing -- I'm not sure how to handle chewing the bedsheets which obviously is at night. He could not have a "chewie" then because of course he could fall asleep with it in his mouth. The OT will have ideas.

Hi.
My son, 4.5 also suffers from the need to have something in his mouth constantly. I catch him gnawing on his toys, books, etc. and I replace them with Chewy Tubes as often as possible. Right now his teacher doesn't think he needs one at school but he does chew his nails there. Since you are local I would highly recommend you taking him to the Theraplay in Trappe for an evaluation. I'm not sure if your son has Medical Assistance but it does pay for a certain number of OT sessions. It has helped my son tremendously! The amount of hours that the OT offers in school is just not enough when the behaviors are severe.
I also hope your son has an IEP in place for his school district to follow.

I wish you lots of luck!
L.
____@____.com

I was not that bad, but *I* was a chewer. I'd chew the inside of my mouth when I could not chew anything else. (I would've just been sucking my thumb... but you know how that is discouraged in public! Oh, and also in place of sucking my thumb, I would suck/gnaw on parts of my hand and clothes but not as badly as your son)

One year the school decided it was best for everyone if I chewed gum at school. THAT helped me stay calm and focused.

Here is what's funny... I did not grow up a gum addict. I only very very rarely chew gum. And if it is any hope to you, I did grow out of that, and never went on to have alternative oral fixations - not food, not smoking... and this was before the days of OT!

check with your pediatrician he might have a disorder called pica. it's the need to want to eat non food items. Wikipedia is down today so you might wanna try to go to web md and read on it. and see if you are experiencing any of the other symptoms

The chewies that others mentioned might be a good idea. For my son he needed something crunchy. He eats raw pasta, raw carrots, chews on ice or something frozen, he liked individual boxes of chocolate milk frozen to gnaw on. Some kids like spicy. Talk to your OT, I bet they can give you ideas even if you are not able to go for services right now.

my 3 yr old is above average in most areas too and has same issues, low tone and mouthing fingers and shirt and leaves tounge hanging out. am in eval/IEP process now but she doesnt seem to meet their 25% delay criteria. I have tried numerous chewies and gum, they work for a little bit the she loses intersest. still trying different kinds. I also use lotion on her hands but I have heard that nipple cream is great for hands that are in mouths. The evaluators didnt seem to think it was a big deal, but I do! the social impact of this and being behind on the playground/gym class is enough to make a smart kiddo hate school. How did you get services, do you have any advice for me?

My son is Aspbergers with sensory issues too. He wears "chewelry" and it helps save his clothes, etc. He does sensory stuff 3x a day at school and OT once a week for low muscle tone and a fine motor delay. By allowing him to chew on something safe, you give him that sensory stimulation he needs. He'll do better for it.