Re: Thumb in mouth

[Guest guest]

still chews his thumb for the same reasons and he's 13. Whenever we or

anyone else sees him do it we just say " thumb " and he pulls it out. I do see

alot of children with DS chew their thumbs. Peculiar.

Jackie, Mom to 13ds

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/26/2000 10:16:29 AM Eastern Standard Time,

jbocci55@... writes:

<< still chews his thumb for the same reasons and he's 13. Whenever we

or

anyone else sees him do it we just say " thumb " and he pulls it out. I do

see

alot of children with DS chew their thumbs. Peculiar.

>>

chews his as well. He even gets blisters/callouses were he chews

them.

[Guest guest]

Maverick chews his thumb and fore finger. When he is particularly stressed

we see it alot. The teachers see it alot at school. At home he has a

stick, pencil, or straw that he drums with constantly.. at school they have

taken all the " fidgety " things away from him so he has nothing.... I think

that might one reason why they see more at school. Also, I think it helps

him concentrate. We did try the aquariam tubing, but it didn't work as a

substitute.

[Guest guest]

> Has anyone encountered a successful solution for the thumb chewing yet?

The only thing that worked for us was time. Ian had his finger in his mouth

constantly for a year or more, and his thumb was all red and swollen and

cracked. After some time, he grew out of the habit, doesn't do it at all

now.

CK,

Mom to Ian (2/89),

(9/90),

and Rose (6/94)

[Guest guest]

A little boy(DS) who used to ride to and from school with us seemed to

have his arm nearly to the elbow in his mouth at times. Never figured out

how he did this. He was 9 or 10 at the time. I very seldom stopped anywhere

on the way home but had to occasionally and never left the kids in the car.

He couldn't walk without falling over his feet and had that arm in his

mouth. I didn't figure it was my place to work on it so I don't know if

anything was done or if he ever quit. But next to that a thumb doesn't sound

so bad. Jessie

[Guest guest]

Alec occasionally chews on his thumb too. It is not as frequent as when he

was younger. He will go months and not do it now. I tell him thumb or show

him mine and he takes it out of his mouth and dries it on his shirt. . The

tubing didn;t work for alec either. I have no idea of what causes him to

chew on his thumb. He seems to do it when he is concentrating on something ,

when he is in a new uncomfortable situation, and/or when he is getting a new

tooth. Any suggestions??????????

Lori

mom to Alec (8DS) and le (12)

[Guest guest]

When we went to one of the NDSC conventions, there was a speech therapist

who was an oral motor/sensory integration specialist. She said that they do

that because it helps them integrate. She recommended hard bubble gum, but

always swallows that. She also recommended the tubing. He had

chewed on his thumb so much that it was huge and calloused. He still does

this from time to time.

Elaine

Re: Thumb in mouth

> Alec occasionally chews on his thumb too. It is not as frequent as when

he

> was younger. He will go months and not do it now. I tell him thumb or

show

> him mine and he takes it out of his mouth and dries it on his shirt. .

The

> tubing didn;t work for alec either. I have no idea of what causes him to

> chew on his thumb. He seems to do it when he is concentrating on

something ,

> when he is in a new uncomfortable situation, and/or when he is getting a

new

> tooth. Any suggestions??????????

>

>

>

> Lori

> mom to Alec (8DS) and le (12)

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

(2 yrs DS) chews her thumb too. Especially when tired, fussy, not

feeling well, irritated, etc...

We tried some tubing given to us by our speech therapist. She doesn't like

it nearly as well as her thumb!

God Bless

-mommy to and Caitlin (4)