DD5 and a half chewing her clothes / hair constantly

[chewin]

What is this about ? How can I stop her doing this ?

her clothes get wet. If it’s not her top she’s chewing, it’s her hair or anything else she can put in her mouth. But mostly her top.

she is otherwise fine and I can’t see any teeth coming in. Although she has lost her front two teeth recently. But her adult teeth are already in place for the two that she lost.

some sort of fidget toy?

Buy her a Chewy Tube and put it on a lanyard. It is probably a sensory need.

Are there any concerns about ASD, OP? Because the only child I know to constantly chew and suck clothing still does it now he's 30, because he's stimming.

Or it might just be that she likes the texture...

You can get Chew necklace, or try tying a Muslim or similar safely around neck, like a bib

It sounds like sensory seeking behaviour. You might find it helpful to read up on autistic traits in girls, and think about whether anyone in the wider family has traits.

Im aware it has a link with Autism but so far there aren’t really other signs.

Mine does this too. No other obvious signs of autism (it's always possible, of course). She gets drool rash around her mouth from it 😕

Tying her hair back helped. We also put a barrier cream on her face to prevent the rash. We'll get a chew necklace if it becomes a big issue.

Buy her special chew bracelet or necklace.

She may just be anxious or self soothing or wanting sensory feedback. Doesn't have to be autism

DS did this - although his hair wasn't long enough. It was awful. Chewed all the collars off his school jumpers and all the sleeves too. Everything went in the mouth - hands, pens, pencils, flannels, toys... We tried EVERYTHING and nothing made a difference.

Your post has made me realise he doesn't do it at all anymore. I was pulling my hair out over it around Easter time. I have no idea when he stopped - but he has. He's just stopped all by himself!

I did this! Definitely in primary school but had stopped by secondary school. Polo shirts were great as the collar was perfect for chewing on.

My poor hair!!

I have a chewer, he’s definitely got better as he’s got older, he’s almost 16 now, but it was like living with a puppy for years. He has a sentimental soft toy octopus that is just head now as he’s chewed so much of it over the years, school pencils are stubs in no time, there was teeth marks in everything! No advice but it is lessening as the years go on. He is not autistic nor has he any other ND traits, he just likes chewing things.

My favourite soft toy doesn’t have a nose as I used to carry it around in my mouth. I have also stopped chewing pencils so I have grown out of it!

DS1(6) does this. No other signs that point to ASD, but he had a few sensory issues when he was younger (couldn't touch finger paint, didn't like some clothes). Other fidget stuff does seem to help - weirdly the most successful being a little lump of blu tac. His teacher was really helpful with ideas when I was worried about him picking at his face.

DS was doing this in Reception, had definitely stopped by year 2 (can’t remember exactly when).

It’s just a fidget. Like biting nails or twirling hair or chewing a pen.

Have you told her off?
(bear with me people)
Sometimes a bad habit is all it is.

My ds(14) has sensory processing disorder and chews his collars/necklines. We made a deal that if he is doing something that needs concentration and sparks his need to chew (computer games) then he wears an old t-shirt.
We got him chew necklace things when he was younger but they never worked as they weren't the right texture to suit his need to chew.
It's frustrating that they go through clothes so quickly but once he was diagnosed I tried to work with him to develop strategies to help his needs and it made life so much easier on both of us. I stopped expecting things of him that he couldn't manage.

Other indicators of spd were clothes labels had to go, gelatinous foods in plastic (ie tube yoghurts) made him heave, can't have things on his skin like suncream or face paint, fear of heights.

Fidget necklace worked for us. The behaviours can also change. For us, it went from chewing the shirt (kindergarten/first years of school) managed with chew necklace, to fingernail biting (final years of primary school), managed with nail-stop stuff, and now to nose-picking, which needs constant distracting and reminders that it is anti-social behaviour when around others. DS is 14, in main-stream schooling with a diagnosis of AUdhd. He functions well but I notice an increase in these behaviours when particularly stressed.

Honestly, I did this for years! Constantly chewed my way through jumper and cardigan cuffs, well into teenage and early twenties. It was just a bad habit - once I had to buy and keep my own clothes nice it stopped. I still have a bit of a hair chewing habit which drives both my hairdresser and dentist mad, but it’s an unconscious action now - usually when I’m concentrating. Once I realise what I’m doing, I stop (or more usually, just keep my hair tied back). Pure habit.

My DS liked to have the front of his top in his mouth/corner of his coat. He came home one day having chewed a hole in his top. He was told the next one would have to be replaced out of his own money. He hasn’t done it since