Diane handed me a long list of items that she suggested I use for my 2nd son who craves oral sensory stimulation. I cringed at the long list of sugary chewy items, such as gummies, Atomic Balls, Sour Candies, etc. But, then I came to the non-edible items and felt much better. Things like the plastic tubing you use in an aquarium or for your refrigerator's water dispenser is perfect for chewing on. I purchased a two foot long piece from a local hardware store and after sanitizing it, cut some of it into 3 inch lengths and the rest in 6" inch lengths.
The 3 inch pieces I stuck on the ends of the pencils, as both my boys are wont to chew the ends off, including the metal part, and the rest I stuck in a kitchen drawer to hand out when I notice my 2nd start to chew on his shirt sleeves or suck his thumb. My first son isn't so needy now, but he was a die-hard thunmbsucker for years before we got a habit appliance to get him to stop. If only I had known about SPD when he was littler. Both of my boys are Hyposensitive.
The other items on the list included:
- Vibrating Toothbrush (which I gave them for Christmas - love it!)
- Crunchy fruits and veggies
- Sucking yogurt through a straw (but since we deal with allergies - Diane showed us how to play a game with fuzzy pom-poms you get from a craft store. Suck up a pom-pom on the end of a straw and crawl across the floor to drop it into a container. Repeat).
- Blowing bubbles
These are only a few of the things we've tried. There are many, many more activities.
How do you know if your child has an Oral Sensory need? This website (
http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/) has been a great resource for me and the following is from that website.
Oral Sensitivities:
Signs, Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment
When talking about children with SPD, we refer to two different types of oral sensitivities... hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity.
As you may have already seen from the Sensory Processing Disorders Checklist, children with oral hypersensitivities - also called oral defensiveness - will exhibit many, or all, of the following characteristics:
dislikes having teeth brushed and/or face washed
has a limited food repertoire and/or may avoid certain food textures - especially mixed textures
will take their food off the fork or spoon using only their teeth, keeping their lips retracted
will gag easily when eating and may only get food down by taking a drink with it
may exhibit signs of tactile defensiveness such as; disliking being touched, avoiding messy play - glue, play doh, mud, sand, finger paints, etc. - , or, may not pick up eating utensil or food with a grasp that involves the palm of his hand
In Contrast, Children With Hyposensitivities Will Exhibit Many, Or All, Of The Following Characteristics:
they love and crave intense flavors, i.e., sweet, sour, salty, spicy and usually become "condiment kids"
may actually avoid mixed textures as well since it is difficult to chew and swallow properly when you can't "feel" the food in your mouth correctly
they are the messy eaters; getting food all over their face and/or leaving bits of food in their mouths at the end of a meal
they often take large bites and stuff their mouths, or even "pocket" food in their cheeks
are inclined to not chew their food thoroughly before swallowing (at risk for choking)
drool excessively beyond the teething stage
and, they always seem to have something in their mouths; toys, pens, pencil tips, gum, candy, or inedible objects (i.e., paper clips, rubber bands, shirt sleeves and collars, strings...anything!)
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