Guest guest Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Many therapy/special needs catalog have " chew tubes " and other things to chew on and some even have tastes/scents or textures/vibrations. They are used for toddler and school age kids. I would try to google chew tubes and maybe either speech therapy (or occupational therapy) and hopefully some good website options will come up. Another thing to do (and easy to find at stores) are all types of bubble toys... So your son can use his mouth before bed to get some fun input. Hope this helps a little, Holly Sent from my iPhone On Mar 5, 2010, at 12:48 PM, " lori " <lormik@...> wrote: my 2.5 year old son has verbal apraxia (mild) and also mild oral-sensory issues. We are having a HUGE problem with him gnawing on his crib headboard - he has gnawed 3 huge holes, and pulls off huge splinters with his teeth. He actually peels the wood with his teeth and hands me the splinters in the morning. Not quite ready for a bed yet, and we can't afford to buy a whole new crib! Our SP suggested that a motorized toothbrush would give him some nice sensory input, so we got him one and he uses it about 3 times a day, he loves it but the wood gnawing has not stopped (he doesn't do this with anything else). Any suggestions? Do they make " toddler " chew toys? He has all of his teeth, so i won't give him a baby teething ring, and he does this at night when he's going to sleep, so we don't " see " it to tell him to stop. I was trying to google but haven't had much luck. I was thinking if i could find him a non-toxic toy that he could chew on safely to his hearts content while falling asleep,maybe it would stop? Thanks for any suggestions! Lori lormik@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 There are, in fact, oral sensory chew toys. We ordered ours from the website: arktherapeutic.com Once there, Click on the link " Chew toys " . My son uses these in OT therapy and even my 10mo old little girl likes them. My son doesn't chew that aggressively, so I'd double check to make sure they'll withstand your sons level of wear and tear, but I think that's what they're made for. Also in OT my son uses a Z-vibe, which is basically a souped up version of an electric toothbrush. If a toothbrush is enough for your kid then great, but this is an option as well. I think you can order these and the chew toys from other sites (amazon.com) for a cheaper price so check it out. Good luck. Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Babies R Us has plastic rails to cover the wooden railings to start. You can also look Super Duper Inc..google it. Its a site for SLP's and all kinds of sensory toys and Speech toys. There are chewy tubes and T's that are made for that kind of issue. > > my 2.5 year old son has verbal apraxia (mild) and also mild oral-sensory issues. We are having a HUGE problem with him gnawing on his crib headboard - he has gnawed 3 huge holes, and pulls off huge splinters with his teeth. He actually peels the wood with his teeth and hands me the splinters in the morning. Not quite ready for a bed yet, and we can't afford to buy a whole new crib! Our SP suggested that a motorized toothbrush would give him some nice sensory input, so we got him one and he uses it about 3 times a day, he loves it but the wood gnawing has not stopped (he doesn't do this with anything else). > > Any suggestions? Do they make " toddler " chew toys? He has all of his teeth, so i won't give him a baby teething ring, and he does this at night when he's going to sleep, so we don't " see " it to tell him to stop. I was trying to google but haven't had much luck. I was thinking if i could find him a non-toxic toy that he could chew on safely to his hearts content while falling asleep,maybe it would stop? > > Thanks for any suggestions! > Lori > lormik@... > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 You might try the red teething toy by Discovery Toys. It is tall & has textured 'knobs' on ea side. I think that it durable enough for a toddler. I would NOT use a chewy tube for play chewing because it's an oral motor tool. It's not supposed to be a toy. Also, I might recommend a Zvibe w/ a green bite/chew tip. One of my clients found the most reasonable one @ www.sensoryuniversity.org You also might try putting a yucky flavor on the wood (tomato juice, lemon, etc. ) Warmest wishes, Barbara A , M.S., CCC-SLP Executive Director, Help Me Speak, LLC 410-442-9791 [ ] oral - sensory input my 2.5 year old son has verbal apraxia (mild) and also mild oral-sensory issues. We are having a HUGE problem with him gnawing on his crib headboard - he has gnawed 3 huge holes, and pulls off huge splinters with his teeth. He actually peels the wood with his teeth and hands me the splinters in the morning. Not quite ready for a bed yet, and we can't afford to buy a whole new crib! Our SP suggested that a motorized toothbrush would give him some nice sensory input, so we got him one and he uses it about 3 times a day, he loves it but the wood gnawing has not stopped (he doesn't do this with anything else). Any suggestions? Do they make " toddler " chew toys? He has all of his teeth, so i won't give him a baby teething ring, and he does this at night when he's going to sleep, so we don't " see " it to tell him to stop. I was trying to google but haven't had much luck. I was thinking if i could find him a non-toxic toy that he could chew on safely to his hearts content while falling asleep,maybe it would stop? Thanks for any suggestions! Lori lormik@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 This could be a sign of PICA in which he might lack certain nutrients, such as iron or zinc. You can have the pediatrician test his blood levels. On Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 12:48 PM, lori <lormik@...> wrote: > > > my 2.5 year old son has verbal apraxia (mild) and also mild oral-sensory > issues. We are having a HUGE problem with him gnawing on his crib headboard > - he has gnawed 3 huge holes, and pulls off huge splinters with his teeth. > He actually peels the wood with his teeth and hands me the splinters in the > morning. Not quite ready for a bed yet, and we can't afford to buy a whole > new crib! Our SP suggested that a motorized toothbrush would give him some > nice sensory input, so we got him one and he uses it about 3 times a day, he > loves it but the wood gnawing has not stopped (he doesn't do this with > anything else). > > Any suggestions? Do they make " toddler " chew toys? He has all of his teeth, > so i won't give him a baby teething ring, and he does this at night when > he's going to sleep, so we don't " see " it to tell him to stop. I was trying > to google but haven't had much luck. I was thinking if i could find him a > non-toxic toy that he could chew on safely to his hearts content while > falling asleep,maybe it would stop? > > Thanks for any suggestions! > Lori > lormik@... <lormik%40earthlink.net> > > > -- S. Kahn, M.S. CCC-SLP melanieskahn@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 As an SLP who specializes in oral motor, apraxia, autism, and picky eaters, please NO!! As I said in my earlier post--plz do NOT use chewy tubes as toys. They are meant to be therapy TOOLS under the supervision of a trained therapist or parent. If used incorrectly or just any way @ all, a child can develop the wrong motor pattern. It's like exercising @ the gym. You wouldn't just pick up a dumbbell & start swinging it around in any/all directions, would u?? I am trying not to get on my soap box but this is a passion & specialty of mine---oral motor. Let me know if anyone has questions. Warmest wishes, Barbara A , M.S., CCC-SLP Executive Director, Help Me Speak, LLC 410-442-9791 Re: [ ] oral - sensory input Many therapy/special needs catalog have " chew tubes " and other things to chew on and some even have tastes/scents or textures/vibrations. They are used for toddler and school age kids. I would try to google chew tubes and maybe either speech therapy (or occupational therapy) and hopefully some good website options will come up. Another thing to do (and easy to find at stores) are all types of bubble toys... So your son can use his mouth before bed to get some fun input. Hope this helps a little, Holly Sent from my iPhone On Mar 5, 2010, at 12:48 PM, " lori " <lormik@...> wrote: my 2.5 year old son has verbal apraxia (mild) and also mild oral-sensory issues. We are having a HUGE problem with him gnawing on his crib headboard - he has gnawed 3 huge holes, and pulls off huge splinters with his teeth. He actually peels the wood with his teeth and hands me the splinters in the morning. Not quite ready for a bed yet, and we can't afford to buy a whole new crib! Our SP suggested that a motorized toothbrush would give him some nice sensory input, so we got him one and he uses it about 3 times a day, he loves it but the wood gnawing has not stopped (he doesn't do this with anything else). Any suggestions? Do they make " toddler " chew toys? He has all of his teeth, so i won't give him a baby teething ring, and he does this at night when he's going to sleep, so we don't " see " it to tell him to stop. I was trying to google but haven't had much luck. I was thinking if i could find him a non-toxic toy that he could chew on safely to his hearts content while falling asleep,maybe it would stop? Thanks for any suggestions! Lori lormik@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Lori - Not sure this would help, because our son never chewed quite that much, but he used to love a battery-operated vibrating star that we ordered from Amazon. It stands up well to chewing! And it's much bigger than an electric toothbrush (would fill his whole mouth!), so maybe it would work better? Dianne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 She should speak to her SLP about additional ways to stimulate him during the day so he's not so hungry for stimulation at night. she already suggested the toothbrush, so I'm sure she has other ideas. We're not suggesting they be used as toys but I would not give chewy tubes to a baby in a crib either. My 8dd SLP during EI used to tell me to imagine how many words a typical 2.5 yr old would be saying--about 450 or so. Than look at our kids--some who we're happy are saying 10 words out loud at the same age. She said that typical kids mouths get their stimulation from tongue movement in those 450 words, foods they eat. But our kids do not get that same stimulation from speaking--so alternatives have to be found during the day. Our SLP had no problem giving me a piece of chewy tube or a T Tube for her to play with when her sensory needs seemed to be higher. A couple years ago--when she seemed to be chewing on her fingers more often--her school SLP sent home a piece of chewy tube knowing she was seeking some kind of stimulation. They should be used under the direction of your EI SLP. We got lots of ideas during the EI time for foods (peanut butter, twizzlers) during the day to get her mouth moving and stimulated more to help her rest better at night. > > As an SLP who specializes in oral motor, apraxia, autism, and picky eaters, please NO!! As I said in my earlier post--plz do NOT use chewy tubes as toys. They are meant to be therapy TOOLS under the supervision of a trained therapist or parent. If used incorrectly or just any way @ all, a child can develop the wrong motor pattern. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 My son is 6 years old and still has a need for chewing. We use a Chew tube. You can get them at talktools online. There is a yellow and red. We started with the yellow one. It is smaller. Debbie From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Kahn Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 2:29 PM Subject: Re: [ ] oral - sensory input This could be a sign of PICA in which he might lack certain nutrients, such as iron or zinc. You can have the pediatrician test his blood levels. On Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 12:48 PM, lori <lormik@... <mailto:lormik%40earthlink.net> > wrote: > > > my 2.5 year old son has verbal apraxia (mild) and also mild oral-sensory > issues. We are having a HUGE problem with him gnawing on his crib headboard > - he has gnawed 3 huge holes, and pulls off huge splinters with his teeth. > He actually peels the wood with his teeth and hands me the splinters in the > morning. Not quite ready for a bed yet, and we can't afford to buy a whole > new crib! Our SP suggested that a motorized toothbrush would give him some > nice sensory input, so we got him one and he uses it about 3 times a day, he > loves it but the wood gnawing has not stopped (he doesn't do this with > anything else). > > Any suggestions? Do they make " toddler " chew toys? He has all of his teeth, > so i won't give him a baby teething ring, and he does this at night when > he's going to sleep, so we don't " see " it to tell him to stop. I was trying > to google but haven't had much luck. I was thinking if i could find him a > non-toxic toy that he could chew on safely to his hearts content while > falling asleep,maybe it would stop? > > Thanks for any suggestions! > Lori > lormik@... <mailto:lormik%40earthlink.net> <lormik%40earthlink.net> > > > -- S. Kahn, M.S. CCC-SLP melanieskahn@... <mailto:melanieskahn%40gmail.com> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 When my son was a baby from the time he was born I had to have a burp cloth under his chin due to he had a very poor suck when bottle feeding the formula would just drip out the the bottom of his mouth it made a mess. My son also was a baby who spit up a lot. So I always had a burp cloth near his mouth. My son at about 6 months became attached to his burp cloth literally he use to instead of a pacifier (never had one) would suck on it. He later decided when he started getting teeth to start chewing on it. My son would chew a hole in them . He was attached to it until about age 3 when he developed a liking to a beanie baby bear. Until age 3 though I literally carried a cloth diaper ( they were always bought brand new and only used for burp cloths and laundered daily they absorbed more and covered a bigger area ) around every where we went. Due to the fact my son was so attached to the cloth diapers he carried one in his hand 24/7. He even took one to school his first day of headstart.  Maybe you can try something similar with your son not a cloth diaper but maybe a heavy terry cloth washcloth ( something heavy enough to withstand the strong biting) that of course is well made that would not come unsewn or he would be able to unravel plus safe to sleep with in a crib.  Gosh the fact that he is getting splinters off the rails of the crib is some very strong biting. Have you tried to cover the rails of his crib with something ? Maybe make a homemade cover for them out of cotton batting and then a soft heavy blanket etc ? So he is not getting wood shavings but still able to get his oral sensory input.  Good luck. I sure hope you find an alternative remedy for son.  Jeanne and NH From: jennyjudy@... <jennyjudy@...> Subject: Re: [ ] Re: oral - sensory input Date: Friday, March 5, 2010, 7:28 PM  My daughter is 4 1/2 and wants to chew on pacifiers, I told her soon we were going to cut the tip off, just giving it up at this point cold turkey wouldn't work. She doesn't like chewy tubes or anything like that any suggestions. ? In a message dated 3/5/2010 3:56:22 P.M. Central Standard Time, degarrettjones@ bellsouth. net writes: Lori - Not sure this would help, because our son never chewed quite that much, but he used to love a battery-operated vibrating star that we ordered from Amazon. It stands up well to chewing! And it's much bigger than an electric toothbrush (would fill his whole mouth!), so maybe it would work better? Dianne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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