This is a repost from Joyful Journey Mom. Jenni is a mom with 5 children through birth and adoption. She writes about parenting, special needs, adoption and their journey as a multi-cultural, transracial family. Read the original post here.
Bonus: All readers get 30% off all chewing products at Special Needs Essentials with code CHEW30! All you have to do is find the right one for your child.
Chewies are a great way to help children with oral sensory needs. Some children chew on their clothing, some put any and all objects in their mouths and this can be dangerous if the wrong toy is chewed or swallowed. Allowing a child to chew on a safe object can actually improve their focus/concentration, improve alertness or calmness.
Here are some of my favorite chewies that we use in our home. Not all look like a typical chewing toy which is important when choosing a chewie for an older child.
This is a great tool because it is easy to hold and durable. We have used ours daily and it shows no signs to breaking. The Q comes in a smooth orange or a red one with knobs. Both have their benefits and I would recommend trying both to see which one your child prefers.
Chewy tubes come in different diameters and strengths. This is definitely considered heavy work for children with oral sensory needs. It’s easy to hold although we tend to drop this one more than the round shapes like the Q above.
The soft star chew is great for kids who tend to chew on clothing. The soft star and the soft necklace texture also work for children who do not like the smooth plastic type textures.
School aged children need something that is age appropriate and for some, the pencil toppers are a great choice. This saves pencils and erasers from being chewed. They come in smooth and knobby textures.
These bracelets are also a great school appropriate chewie choice. They come in variety of colors and look like an ordinary bracelet.
In addition to Chewies, the Special Needs Essentials online store offers numerous great products for loved ones with special needs. I especially appreciate their Therapist Preferred section that has a wonderful assortment of daily tools recommended by professionals.
What sensory chewie tools do you use with your child?
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