4 12 Year Old Started Putting Everything in Mouth Again
Sensory Processing can be such a confusing topic. From terms you may have never heard of to the spectrum of ways it effects all of us, it can be overwhelming. In fact, it can be downright frustrating to wade through the information. That is why I am excited to once again to join with my friends at The Inspired Treehouse, a group of pediatric physical and occupational therapists, for our series on all things Sensory Processing. This month we are talking about Oral Input and its importance for growth and development in kids.
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In this ongoing series, I will attempt to explain an aspect ofSensory Processing from my perspective. I will not attempt to use medical terms, explain what I don't understand myself, or pretend to be an expert. My good friends, atThe Inspired Treehouse, will bring you their take on the same topic, giving you a better understanding of Sensory Processing.
REMEMBER:
I am not a therapist or a doctor.
I am, simply, a mom raising a child withsensory needs.
I am, simply, an educator who taught in Early Childhood Education for 12 years.
I am, simply, just like you.
When I think of our "5 Senses" that I grew up learning about, Taste was always my favorite. Learning about it meant we got to try yummy foods, learn about sweet versus salty, and test out different textures of foods. However, I never connected this sense, the Gustatory Sense, to anything more than knowing the names of flavors, textures and foods. In fact, I never even knew the term Gustatory existed or that it was so interconnected to the other senses of the body.
For the sake of this series, I am going to focus on the Oral Motor aspect of this sensory system, as it directly relates to how it will affect children and what you may or may not be seeing in the children you care for.
In my attempts to define The Oral Systemwithout medical terms, I would describe it as our ability to sense the world around us through our mouths. It allows us to make important decisions about our surroundings, and is responsible for our ability to chew, swallow, and even communicate.
We receive information from our oral system through our mouth, allowing us to experience textures, temperatures, and flavors in everyday life. All of these things have one thing in common…
Taste
As I mentioned before, I have always connected the oral sensory system to the sense of taste. Little did I know it was so much more and responsible for so many more functions and processes. It wasn't until recently that I learned how interconnected the oral system and proprioceptive system are.
The need to chew, bite, and suck come from the proprioceptive input that we receive from the pressure in our jaws. This connection is key in helping our brains organize information, stay focused, and process the other information in our environment.
NOTE: I want to be completely honest, and state that I am not completely clear on the oral system and its affects on children. I am going to attempt to explain it to the best of my ability and share stories from my life as an educator and as a mom, raising a child with sensory processing.
If you are anything like me you have already connected the Oral Sense with eating, biting, chewing and discriminating flavors in foods.
As I mentioned before, it is so much more. The oral sense is responsible for sending signals to our brain, organizing information, and receiving input. All children require this awareness and input for proper development. The problem occurs when a child is either over or under responsive to receiving information from this system.
As an educator, I vividly remember this sweet little girl who experienced the world through her oral system. At 3 years old, anytime she picked up a block, a book, or even a crayon, she would first sniff it and then lick it 3 times. This same little girl was known as the class biter. She bit everyone, every thing and even herself. She was known for it. We spent countless hours educating other parents, her friends and even other teachers about her oral sense and her need to stimulate this sense. Unfortunately, often times, these behaviors are seen as just being "bad" or "naughty" or "mean", when that was not the intention of this little girl at all. She just needed something to chew. She just needed us to be aware of her sensory systems. If only I knew then, what I know now, I could have helped her more.
On the flip side, I had another 3 year old that constantly drooled, put her fingers in her mouth and NEVER EVER ate anything at snack time. She was the pickiest of picky eaters and from the reports of her parents, they struggled to get her to eat anything healthy. At the time, I thought it was due to her parents not teaching her how to be a healthy eater, because my kids were healthy eaters. I didn't have trouble getting my kids to eat… so what was wrong with them… How dare I? Again, if I had only known what I know now!
Sadly, no one knew (including me) those kids' brains were telling them to they needed input that it was not receiving through the muscles and joints in their mouths. Their brain was trying to protect them and no one knew.
In my home, as a mom, this looks a little different. The picture in my house is a child who touches and puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. This kid has been sick with more viruses than one can count, because if the germs are there, he is going to get them on his hands and eat them. Ever heard of Herpangina? Yeah, me neither… but now we've had in our house more times in our house than I care to admit and we know everything about it. Why? Because of my son's need to sense the world through his oral receptors.
"Fingers out of your mouth", "Stop biting that", "Don't put so much food in your mouth"… these are all common phrases in my house on a daily basis. Or at least they were until we learned a few ways to help him with his need for oral stimulation.
One story I am a tad nervous to share, but I feel is important to the story, happened when Legoman was 4 and his younger brother was only 2. His brother had just transitioned to a big boy bed and the boys were sharing a bunk bed. My son, Legoman, had such an intense need to chew that he chewed off his brother's nail. Yes. You read that right. He chewed his brother's nail completely off. It was pretty much at that point that we realized there was a bigger problem that needed to be addressed. It was beyond chewing the bed post, it was beyond biting his own nails… it had now affected someone else.
The sad thing is, at the time I was furious and beyond myself. I mean, how could he do such a thing to his brother? If only I had known about healthy alternatives for chewing and ways to provide proprioceptive input and daily routines that would help him get the input he was seeking.
Remember,Sensory Processing is Complex. It is different for every child, because every child is unique. The problems arise when a child either seeks or avoids auditory input. For your convenience, I have compiled a Oral Sensory Input Cheat Sheet listing behaviors you might see if your child is with avoiding or seeking this type of input.
Now, its time to hop over to my good friends at The Inspired Treehouse, where they are sharing their tips as pediatric therapists to explain the Oral System and why they feel it is important to thegrowth and development of all children.
5 Reasons Kids Refuse to Eat | Your Kids Table
Working Through Feeding Challenges | Your Kids Table
Top 10 Tips for Helping a Picky Eater | A Sensory Life
Why is My Child Always Chewing | Golden Reflections Blog
Follow Dayna | Lemon Lime Adventures's board Sensory | Processing on Pinterest.
Do you know a child that seeks or avoids Oral Input? Do you have a child with sensory needs? Has this post touched you in some way? I would love to know! Please send me a message or leave a comment. It helps when we know we are not alone.
Click the picture below to join our Support Group for Sensory Needs.
Sensory Processing | Tactile | Vestibular | Proprioceptive | Auditory | Visual
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Source: https://lemonlimeadventures.com/sensory-processing-explained-oral-sensory-system/
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