Oral Stim

[sstarz]

I have an 8 year old who needs lots of oral stimualtion. He chews on a small piece of rubber everyday, otherwise he chews his fingers. Well now it has come to the point where he is chewing on both. His fingers are so cracked and sore that I don't know what else to do for him. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I could do to keep his fingers out of his mouth? Any help would be much appreciated. :rolleyes:

[Lisa S]

Hi sstarz,
I chew on my fingers sometimes, especially if I am nervous. If I chew chewing gum then I don't chew my fingers. If you put Neosporin ointment and a Band-aid on the sore places on his fingers, it will heal them quickly and remind him not to chew them. Maybe it would be helpful also to keep his hands busy when it is possible with therapeutic putty or Play-Doh or something similar. If you are afraid he will eat it, you could make some salt-dough instead. I have a recipe if you want it.
Lisa