Mouthing

Janey puts everything in her mouth.  This is a behavior that hasn't gotten a bit better over time.  Lately, it seems worse.  If she gets a new toy or stuffed animal, the absolute first way she explores it is by putting it in her mouth.  Researching this, I found most toddlers stop the mouthing by around age 2.  That's why there's usually a 3 and under choking warning on small toys---because by age 3, the mouthing is not as much of a problem.  Of course, Janey lives in a 3 and older world.  It would be literally impossible to keep every single small item out of her reach.  She couldn't go to school, the boys couldn't have things they need for school, heck, even clothes for an 8 year old have small parts.  Knock on wood, Janey haven't ever choked on anything, and she doesn't seem very inclined to swallow what goes in her mouth, except food.  She does like to chew on things like pieces of plastic or pieces of paper, when I'm not looking, but she's also good about taking out what is in her mouth as soon as I ask her.  Still, it's a big problem.  It's one of the reasons I always have to stay alert and keep an eye on her, just in case.  And although we've been very lucky so far, that is no guarantee that someday she might have a choking issue.

I looked for theories as to why kids with autism sometimes are mouthers.  One idea is that the mouth is hyposensitive---under sensitive, and they are seeking out sensation.  That makes a little sense.  Janey does like hot foods and spicy foods, and she will eat things with textures most kids avoid.  Another thought is it's just a very delayed developmental stage.  Janey is at a toddler stage in a lot of ways, so I guess that could be it.  I think it might have something to do with her teeth, too.  She's losing teeth here and there, and I know that can make your mouth feel odd---a little different every day---and she might be wanting to explore the new tooth arrangement often.  It also might just be a habit.

Usually, the mouthing is not actually eating non-food substances, not actually pica.  But occasionally Janey will try to eat paper.  I can relate to this a little.  As a girl, I was drawn to eating paper long enough that I can remember doing so.  Unlike Janey, I knew I wasn't supposed to, and hid doing it.  I can remember it being a texture thing---the paper just felt good to chew.  It's kind of cool in an odd way to be able to relate in that way to one of Janey's odd behaviors, even while I am telling her firmly to spit out that wad of paper.  I still am hugely drawn to chewing ice, even though I know it's awful for the teeth.  I know that, but still, I can't help wanting to crack that ice with my teeth.  I try to use that in dealing with Janey and mouthing.  I'm not going to try to get her to never put things in her mouth.  It's more I want her to have a lot of safe things around to put in her mouth.  I buy big bags of baby toys at the thrift store I go to, and wash them in hot water.  There's always a baby toy around, and when Janey starts mouthing inappropriate things, I try to hand her a baby toy to chew.  I resisted doing this until a year or so ago, hung up on the "age appropriate" bit, but now, I don't care.  I care about developmental appropriateness, if that's a thing!  Hopefully, someday, the mouthing will end.  For now, it's another challenge in making the world as Janey-safe as I can.

Bizarre Foods

If you look at what Janey eats in terms of nutrition, she's way ahead of either of my boys at her age, and probably also way ahead of a great deal of the population. But if you look at her food choices, you can't help but be struck by how bizarre many of them are. Bizarre, but overall nutritious. It makes me wonder how much of diet is a result of social expectations. If we really ate what we were drawn to eat, how different would our diets look?

Here's some examples of foods Janey loves----

Ketchup, straight from the bottle
Spicy spaghetti sauce, also cold and from the bottle
Raw onions
Minced garlic cloves, from the jar
Cabbage slaw
Peanuts "in the shell"---they have to be cracked freshly in front of her
Funions
"Cashew peanuts" (which used to be cashews, but now are almonds
Chocolate bunnies (any other form of chocolate animal is NOT acceptable)
Purple Ice Cream (Hood Black Raspberry, nothing else works)
Coffee
The marshmellows from the Lucky Charm
Chinese Rice (fried rice)
Lettuce on its own
Bread, but only good, expensive bread that comes in a French style loaf
"Cake" (which means hugely expensive Tiramisu from Whole Foods)
The frosting from cupcakes
Raisins
Doritos
Chocolate Milk
Chicken (which has to be freshly made by Daddy, but can be in most any form)
"Cheese Cutter" (must be Shaws brand cheese, with the wrapper around for her to examine to make sure we aren't giving her anything else)

And then there's the non-food items that Janey craves, and we try hard to keep away from her...

Play Doh (Janey loves Play-Doh, but loves it for the wrong reasons)
Paper of any kind (And here's an instance where I can relate, as I had a touch of pica myself as a girl, and loved to eat paper. I've learned not to, mostly)
Her sleeves (off and on)
Assorted small pieces of toys (one of the many reasons she needs to be watched at all times)

I don't have much of a conclusion here. Just wonderment, as often, at the mystery that is Janey.

3 good, 3 not so good

GOOD...

1. This morning, Janey brought me all the rice pudding from the fridge. After she had one, I told her to put the rest back in the fridge and close the door, and SHE DID---perfectly!

2. Just now, she wanted a video, and after demanding "I want Angelina Ballerina!", she paused and said "Please?"

3. Last night, she picked up a toy cell phone and said "Hello?" in a perfect imitation of how I'd say it---the first time I've seen pretend play from her in ages.

BAD...

1. I took my eyes off Janey for a minute while trying to get some laundry folded yesterday. She was in the next room, in the corner of my eye, but I didn't notice she had found a jar of Vaseline until she had spread it all over herself, the floor and my bed.

2. Janey has developed a severe taste for paper. We have to be constantly vigilant, or she will tear off pieces of it and eat them.

3. No progress in toilet training. Janey will wear underpants all day at school, but despite them taking her to the potty over and over, she holds it all and wets herself on the way home.

And so it goes....