son with adha question

[LOLA2]

My 5 yo son had ADHD and is on Focalin XR for about 6 months now. For about the last two months my son is always chewing on his sleeves or front neck part of shirt. He is ruining his shirts and I can't get him to stop. When I tell him to stop he will, and say sorry but then again 10 minutes later he will be doing it again. I am wondering if this has something to do with his condition, I heard ticks can sometime develop with meds. Would this be considered a tick? My DH seems to think it is just a habit like thumsucking and once he started he could not stop, likes the taste or feeling or something.
Anyone have a clue? Should I just ignore this or is this something I should be worried about?

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm going to move this to our disABILITIES Community Board, where you will hopefully get more answers.
It sounds more like a habit to me. Ticks are usually not things like chewing, but more involuntary muscle movements, twitches or jerks.

PS - I have heard of kids with ADD and ADHD chewing on things as a stress relieving habit.

 

[Schmeck]

Could also be just regular kid stuff, as in he's getting some molars in... Lots of kindergarten aged kids get a set of molars, and another set around the age of 11-12 yrs old.

 

[leanan]

I think the teething thing is a definate option to the answer for this. However I know that there is a number of stress response which involve chewing, scratching, or licking that show up in kids and adults weather or not they have ADHD or another low seratonin disorder. Regardless of meds. Although many ADHD meds make the problem worse.

The first thing is did this start with the meds or shortly after he started the meds?

Second thing to think about is getting his ENT track checked out. Look in the ears, check the throat, and have a dentist take a peak at the teeth. Any head pain could trigger this kind of reaction. It seems wierd but it is true.

Third thing is to be aware it could be the meds. It could also just be a nervous tick flaring up for some reason. I used to chew on my shirt when I was stressed back in 4th grade. I also chewed on my purse strap. In fifth grade I would obsessively lick my hands because they felt dry. All things that I realize now are related to stress. Yes the little guys get stress too.

The habit I fall on now is called Neurodermatitis. It involves scratching. If he does these things out of nervousness we want to help him deal with the stress before he reaches my age and realizes that is his main way to deal with the stress. I hate it and I wish I could stop it. No meds have totally helped it. Being a girl is easier for me. I replace the scratching sensation by putting on fake nails.

Talk to your child about this behavior. The one thing I can tell you is that yelling at the child or making a HUGE deal of any kind about the behavior only makes it worse for the child. It makes me feel out of control when I can not control my neurodermatitis. Yelling at me about it makes me feel worse. The point is to have a calm conversation about the behavior. Ask the main important questions like why do you do it? how does it make you feel?

 

[LOLA2]

I certainly hope he is not stressed out, no 5 yo should be

 

[leanan]

5 year old stress triggers are very different thant 31 year old stress triggers. It could just be something as simple wha the other kids think of him or test anxiety. Test anxiety got me going every time. The meds of course make him more prone to anxiety anywyas. They are typically based off of amphetamines. Yep that is scary I know.

 

[rhiannonwales]

MY 8 year old son with ADHD does this and isnt on medication at the moment.I think it is either a stress thing or a sensory issue since my son also has Sensory Intergration Disorder of the senory seeking type.

 

[LOLA2]

MY 8 year old son with ADHD does this and isnt on medication at the moment.I think it is either a stress thing or a sensory issue since my son also has Sensory Intergration Disorder of the senory seeking type.

How did you find out that he had Sensory Interration Disorder? Are there signs?

 

[rhiannonwales]

You should try reading the book, "The Out Of Sync Child".... it has a lot of insight as to the behaviors and signs of SID. My sons Dr. didn't even wat to consider it until i brought the book in and made checks next to all the signs that he exhibits. There are many variants of SID, some children with it are what they call "hypersensitive" in that they cant handle loud noises, lights or certain textures.Others like my son are "hyposensitive" meaning that they require lots of sensation to even notice anything..... he sucks/chews his clothes, rubs items on his face/mouth, and doesnt notice common body cues (such as when he need to go potty or when hes full from eating) until its extreme. There is treatment for this usually involving an Occupational Therapist who understands and specialzes in SID.

 

[crazykids]

My son does this as well & he isn't on meds either. I definitely chalk it up to either stress/sensory or maybe a combination of the two. I read the book "The Out of Sync Child," it is a very good resouce.