1) The daughter engages in biting, sucking, and chewing behaviors beyond what is typical for her age. This is likely due to sensory processing challenges and a need for oral sensory input.
2) The mother should keep a behavior log and rule out any physical or emotional causes like pain, pica, hunger, boredom or anxiety.
3) Recommendations include providing appropriate oral sensory inputs through foods, chewable toys, and an oral desensitization program to meet her sensory needs in healthier ways.
1) The daughter engages in biting, sucking, and chewing behaviors beyond what is typical for her age. This is likely due to sensory processing challenges and a need for oral sensory input.
2) The mother should keep a behavior log and rule out any physical or emotional causes like pain, pica, hunger, boredom or anxiety.
3) Recommendations include providing appropriate oral sensory inputs through foods, chewable toys, and an oral desensitization program to meet her sensory needs in healthier ways.
1) The daughter engages in biting, sucking, and chewing behaviors beyond what is typical for her age. This is likely due to sensory processing challenges and a need for oral sensory input.
2) The mother should keep a behavior log and rule out any physical or emotional causes like pain, pica, hunger, boredom or anxiety.
3) Recommendations include providing appropriate oral sensory inputs through foods, chewable toys, and an oral desensitization program to meet her sensory needs in healthier ways.
1) The daughter engages in biting, sucking, and chewing behaviors beyond what is typical for her age. This is likely due to sensory processing challenges and a need for oral sensory input.
2) The mother should keep a behavior log and rule out any physical or emotional causes like pain, pica, hunger, boredom or anxiety.
3) Recommendations include providing appropriate oral sensory inputs through foods, chewable toys, and an oral desensitization program to meet her sensory needs in healthier ways.
My lovely 8-year-old daughter likes to bite and suck on the strangest things–pencils, toys, dress hems, books or whatever. She recently began to chew on her fingernails and cuticles until they are red and raw. I try telling her to stop but she can’t seem to help herself. Any suggestions? From, Mother of Mouthy Girl Dear Mom, pregnant women, and people with Humans are oral creatures. Babies first developmental disabilities. explore toys, fingers, and other objects t Anger, Frustration, or Anxiety. Is the with their mouths. Then they start to use behavior in response to not being their eyes, hands, and other body parts able to communicate her needs and to check out their world. We all con- wants or not having her desires met? tinue to self-soothe orally to some Is it a sign that she is anxious about degree throughout the lifespan, but something? usually in socially acceptable ways t Hunger. Does she need to eat such as chewing gum, snacking something? Does a particular food even when we’re not hungry, and irritate her digestive system? so on. t Bored. Idle hands and mouths A significant number of children can lead to fidgety behaviors. Plus with sensory processing challenges this is a good way to get attention! engage in mouthing beyond the age people typically stop doing so. Before To help with your detective work on considering whether this is due to a this, keep a behavior log noting date, sensory processing issue, it’s essential to time, the conditions in which the behav- address any physical or emotional factors ior occurred, and anything else you think such as: may have contributed (e.g., didn’t sleep t Pain. Is there a dental issue such as a well, didn’t eat well, had a fight with a misaligned bite or a toothache? Does We all... self-soothe sibling). your child grind her teeth? Is there orally to some degree, Let’s assume the biting, sucking, and jaw clenching, tightness, popping, or chewing are purely sensory. By now you clicking? An earache? These may be but usually in socially know that your “stop!” directive isn’t very signs of TMJ syndrome. acceptable ways. effective. And if you do manage to “take t Pica. This is a psychiatric condition away” a self-stimulatory behavior like in which a person eats non-food this one, another one usually crops up items such as clay, sand, dirt, feces, in its place. From a sensory standpoint, pencils, paper or other non-nutritive these behaviors provide a lot of tactile items. It is seen in small children, (touch) input from skin surfaces and
40 September – October 2011 ■ Autism Asperger’s Digest
proprioceptive (body awareness from joints, muscles, and con- These and many other items can found in therapy catalogs and at nective tissue) from the jaw and teeth. What you want to do is to sensorysmarts.com> toys & equipment>oral comforts. meet the underlying sensory need in a more acceptable, hygienic Sometimes kids nibble or pick at their cuticles as a sensory way through substitution and/or redirection. behavior and sometimes as a nervous habit. It might help to tell Speak with your occupational therapist or speech language your child that this communicates that you are nervous to oth- pathologist about an oral sensitization program. This might ers who can see what you are doing. You can teach her to put include providing deep pressure to the mouth, including the her hands in her lap, in her pockets, under her thighs, or pro- cheeks, lips, gums, teeth, and jaw. The therapist might also rec- vide her with a fidget toy such as a Tangle Jr., Rubik’s Cube, or ommend ice chips and vibration using a Z-vibe and/or a vibrat- a worry stone. Some parents take their daughters for manicures ing toothbrush. Whistles and blow toys can also be helpful at that nip away jagged, bitable cuticles every week or so. It’s an normalizing oral sensations. added expense, but the girls take great pride in their pretty nails Certain foods also provide useful sensory input. Crunchy foods and cuticles and it becomes a special parent-daughter time that like carrot sticks, pretzels and freeze dried vegetables provide both enjoy. Boys enjoy manicures too, though you may want to great input to the teeth and jaws. Chewy foods like bagels and skip the polish. You can also do manicures yourself. Take cau- fruit leather are great too. tion with cuticle nippers because it›s so easy to nip the skin. Try There are a number of wonderful oral comfort items that a cuticle removing solution and an orange stick instead if you go child can learn to use which are safer, cleaner, and more socially the do-it-yourself route. acceptable. Here are some of my favorites: You can help your child get needed sensory input into her fin- t Chewing gum. Try Glee Gum, which is gluten-free and gers by firmly squeezing the nail bed and fingertip (you can teach casein-free, and Spry gum which contains Xylitol, a natural her how to do this) and helping her explore different kinds of sweetener substances with her fingers, by using playdough and clay, digging t Liquids. Plain filtered water is great as is organic coconut in the dirt while gardening, helping to cook dinner by mixing water. Avoid drinks loaded with sugar and artificial col- items with her hands, and so on. ors and sweeteners. Drink liquids, especially thicker ones, P.S. Habitual nose picking, usually a fidgety self-soothing through fun straws. behavior, is socially unacceptable and unhygienic. At home, use t Non-toxic, latex-free, lead-free, phthalate-free chewies: a nasal wash (Simply Saline or Little Noses Saline Nose Spray) to t ChewEase. A clear plastic tube connected to a cord and thin mucus, soothe nasal passageways, and help him recognize clip to attach to a belt loop or clothing that he has an issue with this. While no one wants a child to t ChewEase Pencil Topper. Just the tube which fits nicely become self-conscious, the first step in overcoming any habit is over a pencil to become aware of it. When you see the behavior, unemotion- t Kids Companions. Chewable hearts or circles in vari- ally observe that your child is doing it because he may not even ous colors that can be worn as a necklace, attached to realize it, e.g., “Oh, you are picking your nose.” clothing. or used as a zipper pull Explain that the behavior turns off kids and adults, and that if t Chewlery. Stretchable, chewable bracelets (preferred for he needs to clean out his nose he should do it privately in the safety) and necklaces bathroom and then wash his hands. When a child picks his nose t Chewy Tubes, Ark’s Grabber, P’s & Q’s publicly, make neutral (not angry or judgmental) eye contact and t Chew Stixx and Pencil Topper Chew Stixx. Especially use your neutral verbal cue or use a pre-arranged hand signal durable such as touching the tip of your nose. Then your child should t Chew Noodle. A long colorful tube that is strong and go wash his hands with soap and water or use antibacterial gel stretchable with a carabiner to attach to shirt or belt to disinfect his hands. Assuming it is a self-soothing habit, it is loop essential to give him something more appropriate and hygienic t Dr. Bloom’s Chewable Jewels. These necklace charms as a substitute, such as a hand fidget. Be sure to share your strat- and bangles were invented by a dentist. Nice for parents egies with your child’s teacher, grandparents, therapists, and to wear or for kids to wear with safety precautions such others. as a quick release knot. For more on oral comforts, self-soothing, and the sensory– t Retractable Bite Buddies. Loads of fun, colorful shapes behavior connection please see Raising a Sensory Smart Child to pick from with a retractable belt clip and visit www.sensorysmarts.com.
www.autismdigest.com ■ September – October 2011 41
