The Need to Chew

My son is a chewer. He always has been.  It is where he gets his input. He loves chewing on non-edible objects. He has chewed through the foam on the stroller, his wooden rocking chair, the wooden counter, his sleeves, and the straps of his backpack.

Due to his chewing, we have chewy tubes, chewy sticks, critter vibes, chewy necklaces, and chewy bracelet’s all to encourage healthy chewing. My son needs his chewy the most between transitions, warming up to new situations, and in crowded places. He also needs it if there is a lot of action and noise occurring around him. Without it, he has extreme anxiety, can’t focus, and sometimes has a meltdown.

Chewing on therapy items has many advantages:

·         help you concentrate and stay focused

·         help calm and soothe

·         encourage healthy chewing

·         strengthen muscles in your mouth for feeding and speech

However, it comes with a disadvantage. Chewing on therapy items is sometimes not understood and can be looked at as socially unacceptable. We have had a couple times when people have not understood.

·         They have asked questions like, “Why do you have a pipe in your mouth?”

·         Some kids teased my son calling him a baby for having a chewy.

 

·         His teacher told me this year that she wants to encourage him to get that “thing” out of his mouth, so he can be engage more with other children. I want him to engage with other children too, but if the chewy is taken away before he is ready, he will be so worked up that it just won’t happen.

An alternative to a chewy would be gum, chewy foods, or sucking on candy, but these items are not allowed at school or during extracurricular activities. My son also doesn't feel like these items give him as much input.

One day, I am sure he will do things like chew on ice or chew on his pen cap, but for now, it can be hard finding a balance between meeting the need and being socially appropriate. At the end of the day, the most important thing to me is that he feels happy and regulated. As his parent, I try to educate others about chewy items, so they will be more understanding for the next child they encounter that has the same need.