Persons with special needs who are orally challenged can truly benefit from having the right oral stimulus presented to them. Having a designated chewing object can help children who live with a wide variety of challenges. Special needs chews have been found beneficial for a wide variety of purposes. They direct the“need to chew” (oral sensory seeking) toward a safe, appropriate, and beneficial object. They’ve also been found to help children with special needs in various areas, from discouraging biting in children with autism to calming children who have anxiety. They are often used in occupational therapy for feeding challenges, and can help reduce body focused repetitive behaviors in children with ADHD. These are just a few of the uses that special needs chews hold.
Special Needs Oral Devices:Alerting Versus Calming
The first thing to consider when choosing a special needs chew for your child is whether you’re looking for a device that is alerting or something with calming properties. Calming and alerting characteristics are found in many of your daily activities, even when you may not be purposefully seeking them. Some calming activities you may do on a normal basis include drinking a cup of warm tea before bed or taking a slow walk when you need a break from work. Some alerting activities you partake in might include turning on up beat music while preparing to clean the house or tapping your fingers on your desk when you need to think deeply.
Alerting and calming special needs oral devices follow these same characteristics. A few products with these qualities(as well as their specific uses) are explained below:
Alerting Oral Device- The Vibra Zilla
ChuBuddy’s VibraZilla is an excellent tool for alerting oral stimulation. It is a vibrating tool with a chewable tip that’s both soft and strong. It provides 6 therapeutic speeds during use, so you can choose the vibration that best suits your child’s preference. It can be used to provide input inside of the mouth to the cheeks, gums, teeth, and tongue, as well as outside of the mouth on the cheeks and chin.
The Vibra Zilla is an excellent choice for children who are in need of self-regulating oral input or desensitization. It is beneficial for children who struggle with oral defensiveness, hyper sensitivity to food texture, difficulties with tooth brushing, and other oral motor facial challenges as well.
Calming Oral Device- SpecialNeeds Chews
The more typical chews are excellent at providing a calming oral stimulation. ChuBuddy’s Strong Tubes are built for the toughest chewers, but their hollow core ensures that they are still fun to chew. If you’re looking for something that’s easier to keep track of throughout the day, the Parachewer is another excellent choice. It’s part para cord bracelet, part chew. It’s useful, discrete, and even doubles as a fidget object when needed.
Calming special needs chews are helpful for oral sensory seekers, children with special needs who are biting (whether it be themselves, others, or objects), children with anxiety, ADHD, and more. If you think your child could benefit from having an appropriate item to chew on, they are almost always worth trying out.
Additional Alerting and CalmingActivities
Once you choose whether your child is in need of an alerting or calming special needs oral device, you may be interested in doing even more to support them in this area. Below are lists of other oral alerting and calming activities that may be beneficial for your child:
Alerting Oral Stimulation Activities:
- Have a crunchy snack, such as pretzel sticks or raw vegetables
- Take a few sips of cold ice water
- Make silly noises with your mouth, such as whistling or blowing raspberries
Calming Oral Stimulation Activities:
- Have a chewy snack, such as gummy fruit snacks or jerky stick
- Drink a smoothie through a straw
- Blow bubbles
Choosing the right special needs oral device for your child can seem like a daunting task when you first begin. Beginning with the decision of “alerting versus calming” should turn this task into a much simpler choice. Some Oral Chews can be used for both alerting and calming depending upon how they are used. A good example of this is the VibraZilla. Consider your child’s needs and the type of oral device that suits them best. This small first step is sure to lead you toward the product that will make a difference for your child’s oral sensory needs.
Any questions email Info@chubuddy.com