I guess this just shows how crazy this SPD thing can be!
Brady asked me this morning for water in a straw cup, kind of strange for him. I gave it to him, and he drank a little, but then proceeded to chew on the straw. I told him he couldn't chew on the straw b/c it'll break. He understood that, but kept asking what he could chew on. After school, I found him chewing/sucking on a finger. Then, later he was eating yogurt and kept twirling the spoon around in his mouth and chewing on it.
So I went online and ordered him some chew sticks to have around.
The weird thing is that he hasn't chewed on anything like this in over a year! I remember back when we were first figuring all this out, he was chewing on his fingers alot. But he hasn't done it since we started OT, so it was a surprise this morning. I was always glad that he didn't chew on things, so I hope this phase will go quickly because it's just gross. I'm guessing it'll stop by the time the chew sticks arrive.
It's really crazy how their little sensory systems can change things up so much from day to day.
Don't Give Up
12 years ago
My 4 1/2 year old has been doing this a lot lately, too. It's our 6 year old who has been diagnosed with SPD, but then I see things like this in his brothers and start to worry. I wondered if it was a stress reaction to all the tension in the house as we deal with our oldest...but maybe it's sensory-related. My SPD child was never a chewer.
ReplyDeleteMy 6 yo has been a chewer his entire life. It started when he was a newborn and would chew on a blanket. Eventually, he added socks to his repertoire. Now he is back to just his blanket. It is totally gross. The blanket gets really stinky and dirty, so we had to buy a couple more so we could rotate them while washing. Thing is, he much prefers the gross already chewed blankets to the clean ones.
ReplyDeleteHe mostly only chews on them at night now or when he is stressed. Sometimes when I know he is overstimulated, I will give him gum, which is much more acceptable in public. It really helps him.
My 3 year old is not a chewer at all but does start sticking things in his mouth when he's overstimulated. I try to practice prevention on school days by giving him a handful of raisins/nuts on the way there to calm him. When I pick him up, I try to bring a smoothie and crunchy snacks (carrots, pretzels, rice crackers) for the ride home.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to gum, lollipops work great. We try to reserve those for 'special' occasions like doctor visits and haircuts. Lol! I hope the chewy sticks work out...my nephew keeps his on a keychain and carries it everywhere just in case :)