ARK's Blog

Have you ever craved crunchy foods?  Or chewed gum?  Ever chewed on your pen caps while concentrating or bit your fingernails when nervous?  We all have oral sensory habits to some extent. For children with sensory needs and/or Autism, however, oral sensory input can play a particularly important role.  Chewing throughout the day (especially during times …

Question:   My sensory child is more of a sucker than chewer.  She usually sucks on her thumb and fingers, but I am wanting to get her some other options for school and transitions.  She's 5.  What do you recommend? Thumb/finger sucking can be a very hard habit to break - what works for one person may not work for the next.  Our products are mostly …

Question:  My four year old daughter pockets food in her lower gums.  Foods like pizza, chicken, egg whites, etc. (that do not melt like crackers or cookies).  She will simply let it stay in her gum pockets until she looks like a chipmunk and eventually we will have to remove it with our fingers.  She is not able to automatically understand the natural process …

Question:  My 9 year old chews on everything... erasers, foam rubber, shirt collars.    He has always had an oral fixation since he was a toddler, putting toys in his mouth and chewing on everything in sight.  Is this something more than typical childhood behavior?  I've read on some discussion boards that your "Grabbers" are often used by other kids with the same …