5 useful strategies for autistic people with ADHD
Take-home strategies from Purple Ella’s talk on ADHD and Autism in Bristol Last week I got to go to my
Chewing is a natural behaviour for children, especially during their early years. It helps them explore the world around them and can also provide comfort. However, some children may develop excessive chewing habits that can be concerning for parents or which are causing damage to clothes, objects or have developed into self-injurious behaviour. In this blog post, we will explore 10 top tips to manage and address this behaviour in a positive and supportive manner.
1. Understand the Root Cause:
First and foremost, it’s essential to understand why your child is chewing excessively. It could be due to teething, anxiety, concentration, sensory processing issues, self-regulation, or even boredom. Identifying the underlying cause will help you address the issue more effectively.
Take a look at my video ‘Why do people chew?‘ to explore this further.
2. Provide Safe Chew Toys:
Invest in safe and age-appropriate chew necklaces for your child. Chewable necklaces can redirect your child’s chewing behaviour away from inappropriate objects, ensuring their safety and preventing damage to teeth, gums and their digestive system.
They can also help prevent damage to expensive school clothing and other objects. I’ve heard of so many children going through expensive logo school jumpers at a speedy rate!
Here at Oojamabobs we offer a wide range of chew necklaces in different shapes, sizes, colours and textures.
If you’re new to chewy jewellery and don’t know where to start, check out our Bundle Packs! These contain several chewable necklaces in different shapes, one firm, one medium firm and one soft, with 2 different lanyard lengths. All at a reduced price! This is a great way to find what type of necklace suits your child, at an affordable price.
3. Offer Chewable Foods:
Chewing provides great proprioceptive feedback. Certain foods provide much more resistance, meaning the jaw has to work harder to break them down. This intense, strong pressure in the jaw provides deep stimulation of the proprioceptive system, which has a hugely calming impact on the chewer.
Parents can offer crunchy and chewy foods to help provide this stimulation.
Here are some great options you can try:
4. Use Chewing Tools Strategically:
Introduce chewable items during challenging situations or transitions to help your child cope with stress or anxiety. Encouraging use of safe, appropriate chewy objects at these times can help your child start using them in the first place and also help them learn to self-regulate, by seeking out and using chews at times they feel particularly stressed.
Having designated chew times during these moments of stress or anxiety can provide comfort and support.
5. Engage in Sensory Activities:
Engage your child in sensory activities like playing with playdough, using textured brushes, or finger painting.
These activities can help them regulate their sensory input, reducing the need to chew excessively.
Identifying the type of sensory input your child needs can help you in selecting appropriate sensory activities.
6. Implement Positive Reinforcement:
Praise your child when they use appropriate chew toys or engage in other sensory activities. Positive reinforcement can motivate them to continue these behaviours.
It can take time for a chewing habit to be transferred from (for example) chewing clothes to chewing a sensory necklace. Gentle redirection to the designated chewy item and positive reinforcement for using the item can make a big difference. Be patient but consistent!
7. Seek Professional Help if Needed:
If excessive chewing/biting persists and significantly impacts your child’s daily life, consider consulting a healthcare professional or an occupational therapist. They can assess your child’s specific needs and provide tailored strategies to manage the behaviour effectively, such as devising a ‘sensory diet’ plan for your child, with sensory activities specially designed to meet their individual sensory needs.
8. Teach Relaxation Techniques:
If your child is receptive, teach your child relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or simple yoga exercises.
These techniques can help them manage anxiety and reduce the urge to chew as a coping mechanism. For some children this can be as simple as holding them or sitting close by and demonstrating deep, slow breaths for them to copy. This can be an ideal method for children who may be non-verbal, are at a different developmental level compared to peers or who are not receptive to being directly taught relaxation techniques.
There are many fantastic tools for helping children practice mindfulness, check out these free resources.
9. Establish Consistent Routines:
Children often find comfort in routines. Establish consistent daily routines that include designated times for sensory activities and breaks. Predictability can provide a sense of security, reducing anxiety-related chewing.
Many people find a visual routine especially helpful for their children, I’ve just implemented one in my home for my 4 and 6 year olds!
10. Be Patient and Supportive:
Lastly, be patient and supportive throughout this process. Understand that managing excessive chewing/biting takes time and effort. Your understanding, encouragement, and love can make a significant difference in helping your child overcome this behaviour.
Conclusion:
Helping children manage excessive chewing involves a combination of understanding, patience, and appropriate interventions. By identifying the root causes, providing safe alternatives, and offering support for sensory needs, parents can guide their children toward healthier ways of fulfilling their oral sensory needs.
Take-home strategies from Purple Ella’s talk on ADHD and Autism in Bristol Last week I got to go to my
Read about the upcoming Autism and ADHD Talk with Purple Ella On Monday 27th November, I’ll be heading to DoubleTree
Sensory overload and my experiences as a parent with a chronic illness and minor brain injury Oh my god, my
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