ARK's Blog

A new school year asks a lot of kids. New routines, new noise, new expectations, long stretches of sitting still, and far fewer chances to move than summer allowed. For a lot of people, chewing is one of the ways the nervous system stays steady through all of that. It's a normal, useful thing to do, and it tends to show up more when there's more to manage. Below are five signs that a chew tool may be helpful in the back-to-school transition, and a tip to try for each one.

1. Pencils, pens, and sleeves come home chewed

This is the easiest sign to spot, because you'll see bite marks / indentations on pens and pencils or other school supplies. Or holes in shirt sleeves or stretched out collars. Without a chew tool, kids will often reach for whatever is closest: erasers, pen caps, collars, cuffs, hoodie strings, a water bottle straw, etc.

A chew tool gives that need somewhere durable to go, which is both safer and also more satisfying for the mouth to have something intended and built for chewing. 

Tip: Put a chewable topper on your child's favorite pencils, so it's most likely to get used. They're compatible with any standard #2 pencil. These shirt chewing necklaces are also our go-to choices to save collars.

2. Chewing or fidgeting ramps up during transitions

Sometimes the useful thing to notice isn't whether it happens but when. Between classes. Walking into a loud cafeteria. During a fire drill. In the ten minutes before a test, or in the car on the way to school.

A spike during change is often the body working to steady itself through something unpredictable.

Tip: In addition to having a chew tool, you can try some of these Back to School Sensory Strategies. For example, encourage the student to wear their backpack during hallway transitions instead of carrying it, since the added weight can be calming. You can also ask their teacher if they can be first or last in line, which may cut down on getting bumped and jostled by everyone else. If the transitions between periods are the roughest part of the day, it's worth asking whether they can move a few minutes early or a few minutes late to miss the crowd. And so forth.

3. Settling and focusing at a desk is the hard part

For some students, getting settled and focused is the hardest part. They're up, they're wiggling, they're reaching for something to hold or bite.

Repetitive input to the jaw is grounding, so a chew or a pencil topper can make sitting and concentrating feel more manageable. For older students who don't want anything noticeable, a pen topper mostly just looks like chewing on a pen, and nobody looks twice at that.

Tip: If the student just needs to get up and move, see if the teacher can let the child pass out papers or collects folders - even that small amount of movement can make the next stretch of sitting easier. Or for an activity that they can do without leaving the chair: have them grip the sides of the seat and try to pull the chair up (or press down into it) while staying seated, holding for a count of ten or twenty. For writing tasks specifically, a weighted pencil can help give the hand more feedback, which some students find helps them settle into the work.

4. Nails, fingers, or knuckles

Nail and finger biting is sometimes even more common than chewing on pencils or shirts and the like, because your fingers are always there, and nothing has to come out of a backpack.

The skin around the nails can get sore, and for some people it becomes uncomfortable enough to be distracting on its own.

Tip: Look for thin chews to substitute nail biting, or long slender chews to substitute finger biting. This matches the chew to the need, which can help make it stick.

5. Chewing seems to help them feel calmer

If gum, a crunchy snack, ice, or a sleeve seems to help someone come back down after a hard moment, that's genuinely useful information. It means they've already found something that works. It just isn't something that lasts, or something a classroom allows.

Tip: All of our chew tools come in three toughness levels - standard (softest), XT (medium) and XXT (toughest). Sometimes it can help matching the level to what the individual likes to chew on. To replace gum, the softest aka chewiest level is a good idea. To replace ice / crunchy items, XT is a good choice (firmer but still with some resilience). To replace really firm items like hard pen caps, try XXT.

One more thing worth noting: chewing can ebb and flow with stress levels, so a hard week at school may mean there's an increased need to chew.

More tips for making it work once school starts

• Put it on before chewing happens. Part of the morning routine, right alongside shoes and the backpack.
  
  
• Keep redirecting until it sticks. "Use your chewy instead!" for example. Redirecting takes repetition, so pick one phrase and let everyone use the same one: teacher, aide, grandparents, siblings, etc.
  
  
• Give the teacher a heads up. Most teachers are glad to know what a chew tool is and what it's for. If sensory supports are already part of an IEP or 504 plan, this is worth adding there, and a plan can be revisited any time during the year, not only in the fall.
  
  
• Send crunchy things in the lunchbox. Carrots, apples, pretzels, and anything that makes the jaw work give some of the same input during the day. A straw with a thick drink like a smoothie or yogurt does something similar.
  
  
• Check it regularly. Inspect the chew often and replace it at the first sign of wear or tearing. Parents and educators should use their judgment about whether a chew tool is appropriate for kids to use at school, and any chewing should be supervised where supervision is needed.

When it's worth talking to an OT or SLP

A chew tool is one piece. If the need to chew is intense enough to get in the way of the school day, or if you're seeing other things alongside it (trouble sitting still, sensitivity to noise, big reactions to transitions, difficulty with food textures), an occupational therapist or speech-language pathologist can look at the fuller picture and put together a plan built around that specific student. Many schools have both on staff, and you can ask.

If you're not sure where to start, email our team with an age and a quick note about what's currently getting chewed. We love giving recommendations, and we've been doing it for over 25 years.

About ARK Products — Founded by a speech-language pathologist and an engineer, ARK has spent over 25 years designing tools and resources for oral motor therapy, feeding, and sensory needs. All ARK products are made in the USA from food and medical-grade materials. Questions? Reach out anytime at support@arkproducts.com.

Related Reading:

• Back to School Sensory Strategies
• Sensory Tools for a Calmer Classroom
• Why Chewing Matters: How Chew Tools Support Sensory Needs
• Why Does My Older Child Chew on Everything?
• Why Do ADHD and Chewing Go Together?

Not sure which chew fits their school day? Take our Chew Quiz → or explore all chews →