Sensory Aid Suitable For Use In Secondary School Class Room

[joencaitlinsmum]

My DS 11 has ASD and suffers really badly with anxiety, it came to light yesterday that he has been chewing on his erasers in class when anxious in order to stop himself crying and being embarressed (he is in mainstream school).

Obviously he cant keep on chewing erasers so for the time being he has taken a fluffy keyring to school to stroke.

Does anyone know of any other item (maybe one that is a sensory aid for older children with ASD) that would be suitable but no so obvious to his peers that he needs it for support. All ideas welcome!

i've known a lot of kids use blu-tac - just squeezing it between finger and thimb, squishing it all day long.

DS is only 6 but uses elastic bands. Thick ones, either linked together in a chain or he just has one big one that he wraps and unwraps around his finger.

How about something like this attached to his pencil case/phone or keys?

more obtrusive, but it's also been suggested that ds1 use a (black, lol, not pink or purple) dynaband around the legs of his chair so that he can push his feet against it (he always takes off his shoes in class)

Are kids allowed chewing gum? Might that work?

ds1's teacher just suggested that for him, mango. her only stipulation is that kids who chew like cows can't use it.

which rules out ds. no gum for him, just in case you were wondering.

Apparently I used to chew like a cow, or so my geography teacher told me in front of the class once! Probably still do. Shame they can't make an exception.