ABC's of SPD – C is for Chewing

I’m posting my Blogging through the Alphabet late again this week. If you’re just joining me, I will be Blogging through the Alphabet with Ben and Me and many other bloggers who are offering a wide variety of topics. I will share a new topic related to Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) each week as we blog through the alphabet.

C is for Chewing

Chewing is a fairly common sensory seeking behavior in those with Sensory Processing Disorder. Adults with SPD that need oral input (like myself) are able to find appropriate ways to receive input like chewing gum for example. It’s not uncommon to see a chewed up end of a pen or pencil, though, even from an adult! Chewing offers oral input that some crave constantly and others may only need it occasionally.
With SPD and chewing, use of proper therapy tools for children such as those we received from ARK Therapeutic are a great way to give a child the oral input they need without worrying about their chewing on inappropriate things. Unfortunately, we experienced that the hard way as our oldest used to put his teeth on everything. We didn’t have a piece of furniture that he hadn’t chewed on at some point! This was before we knew anything about the need to chew for oral input. We have thankfully avoided it with our younger two children as now we knew what it was and how to help!
In addition to the therapy tools, each of our children also have a piece of silicone jewelry for chewing. They are designed for teething babies and toddlers, but I found they were sturdy enough for our children’s occasional chewing as well. What I like about the teething jewelry is they are easy to put on and take off and are the perfect option for on-the-go. I often worry about sending therapy tools with them to church because they could get lost, but with jewelry it’s on them so it’s convenient! There are different styles of teething necklaces, and many of them will work for this purpose.
Another great tip for providing oral input is drinking through a straw. Chewing on the straw may be a problem for those who require a lot of oral input, but for those that control the urge to chew on it, the act of drinking through the straw provides oral input as well.
Do you have any tips for those that require oral sensory input?

ABC Blogging

Don’t forget to check out the other bloggers as well who have linked up to Blogging through the Alphabet! There are a wide variety of topics from completely random to very specific.