My undiagnosed daughter does this, but at home:
Shirts, blankets and washcloths--it's purely for the tactile stimulation. She likes to suck water out of a wet washcloth. Seeing her do this one bath time, I suddenly had a vivid memory of doing it myself when I was about 7 or 8. It was a great sensation--I think I stopped because my parents gave me a really fascinating textbook on microbiology.
She doesn't do it at school because she is trying very hard to find ways to fit in. Sometimes, though, she will do it when she is nervous or absent minded--often with part of a jacket or shirt. The clothes seem to mostly recover after going through the wash, and we just keep them cirvulating. When the damage is more obvious and she complains, we just point out the relationship between the appearance of the clothes and the chewing. That seems to be reducing the whole thing at the moment.
21 Jul 2013, 9:22 am
