Why do Autistic people chew on things?
Leann FirestoneEver since I was a young child I can remember chewing on my shirt sleeves, neck collars, or zippers of my clothing. I was always getting told to “Get your hair out of your mouth!” “Don’t chew on that metal” “Stop walking around with a straw in your mouth”. It would make sense that since some of these things are unsafe and unsanitary, I was being told to stop. What my parents and caregivers didn’t realize was that they were stopping my self stimulatory behavior and not giving me anything to replace it with. So I was actually experiencing internal stress with no idea how to process the feelings or verbalize them. Now that I am an adult and understand I am autistic and I have done countless hours of research on my brain I am able to share this information with others!! There is some research out there that backs me up, but this is a blog post about my brain so these are all things I experience!
To understand why I am saying its okay to let your child chew on things, we first have to understand they are doing it . Oral Sensory seeking behavior is a natural part of child development, babies, infants, and even toddlers use sucking as self soothing behavior to regulate their emotions. During ages 18-24 months children strengthen their sensory development by using their mouth as another sense to explore the world. As they age past 2 if they are still putting things into their mouth it could be a signal of a developmental difference such as autism or sensory processing differences. In some cases it can signify trouble with teeth, or pica (swallowing non food items). It is important to have an identification of the cause so the proper tools and therapists can be involved.
When I am anxious or stressed (which unfortunately is most of the day as I am an Autistic Audher living in a Neurotypial world) I have sensory seeking feelings in my brain. The best way I can describe oral sensory seeking feelings, are an unconscious urge to chew on things, to put something against my lips, teeth, and tongue. Some physicians might call this an oral fixation or an unnatural addiction. For me it is a form of stimming, it allows me to focus on the moment and be taken away from my anxious thoughts. The vigorous repetitive chewing motion can calm me down just as swinging or rocking would. If I need to chew on something and I cannot, it is likely that I will start grinding my teeth.
The physical act of chewing also stimulates the vagal nerves which are the main nerves of your parasympathetic system that controls your body functions and is responsible for things like digestion, immune response, mood, speech, and more. There have been studies that link chewing to stress relief, meaning it works well as a self soothing mechanism.
As a parent to a child or adult you can also seek out help from an occupational therapist, myofunctional therapist, or speech therapist to learn more about oral senses and the tools available .The best thing you can do to help the mind of an oral sensory seeker is to incorporate more tools into their sensory diet like the examples listed below.
Ideas to help Oral Sensory seekers
- -Play instruments like harmonica or recorder
- -Party blowers that can be found at the dollar tree
- -Drinking with a straw
- -Blowing bubbles
- -Water bottles that require suction like this camel back
- -Frozen fruit or popsicles
- -Lollipops (these are my favorite Brand)
- -Popcorn
- -Freeze dried fruit/veggies like these
- -Raw veggies
- -Chewing gum
- -Special supplies oral stimulation tool
Since chewing on clothing and random objects can be a health concern, I have come up with a list of safe alternatives for an adult or child. I have personally tested most of these items and use them regularly!
- Necklaces Options
- Relaxing metal breathing necklaces are a great tool for people with anxiety and oral sensory seeking needs. They are not meant to be chewed on but they do provide a calming feeling of metal on your lips or tongue. (making them perfect for people who like to put zippers or other necklaces in their mouth) They are intended to act as a reminder to be present and encourage slow relaxing breaths. I do find them helpful and I think they are appropriate for adults or teens. They are rust proof but they should still not be submerged often in a pool or shower, and do need to be cleaned often with soap and water.
- *Flo Necklace – is one of the first companies to come up with this idea, I have had this necklace for over a year now. They have 6 color options including a fun new rainbow style . I chose the matte black metal because I like the feeling of flat matte metal opposed to shiny types. The area where you breathe is completely flat and The necklace is very lightweight.
- Relaxing metal breathing necklaces are a great tool for people with anxiety and oral sensory seeking needs. They are not meant to be chewed on but they do provide a calming feeling of metal on your lips or tongue. (making them perfect for people who like to put zippers or other necklaces in their mouth) They are intended to act as a reminder to be present and encourage slow relaxing breaths. I do find them helpful and I think they are appropriate for adults or teens. They are rust proof but they should still not be submerged often in a pool or shower, and do need to be cleaned often with soap and water.
*Mouna Necklace – I have this brand of necklace in silver but there is also a matte black option as well. The metal tube is the same size as the flo necklace but does have a heavier feel to it . This brand also has an angled mouthpiece. I don’t like it as much as the flat feeling of the flo but it could be appealing to some that want texture!
- Chewelry– Is silicone jewelry you can chew on! It is great for adults, kids or event moms to wear for teething babies!
- We have a variety of chew necklaces on our site. I wrote all the descriptions for the site and explained the difference in texture of the styles. Some have a more flexible soft feel , while some are better for more aggressive chewers! Each necklace is $5 each and all the proceeds benefit Neurodiverse Network Non Profit. Click Shop at the top the page or follow this link to go directly to our necklace options.
The brand Munchables also offers some great options of chew necklaces that have a mature look to them. I have the tree of life necklace but I really love the leaf!
- Braided Cloth Necklaces are a great option for kiddos or adults who do like chewing on clothing and cloth the best. They provide a safe outlet so personal clothing items do not get damaged. The only downside is if they are wet with saliva it becomes unusable until you wash and dry it again, which is timely. I suggest buying a few so you have enough to switch them out. You could also make your own with old t shirts.
- Pencil Toppers are great for kiddos in school, so you they have to bite the erasers! Very Durable and safe for strong chewers!
- Chew Sticks aren’t as inconspicuous as a necklace or pencil topper but they do provide a great sensory experience!
- *Arks Grabber chew stick are great for vigorous chewers and they have many variations available.
- *Hollow chew tubes are good for toddlers, soft chewers and people who want to work to improve their gag reflex.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Neurodivergent minds and why we like to chew on things!! I hope you have found some of this information helpful!
*I am an amazon affiliate, if you purchase any of the items above through the links provided, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
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