Why Is My Child Chewing on Everything? Understanding Non-Nutritive Chewing and How Therapy Can Help
If your child frequently bites themselves or others, chews on their shirt, fingers, toys, or other objects, you're not alone. This behavior is known as non-nutritive chewing, and while it can be frustrating or concerning to witness, up until a certain age it serves an important purpose for the child. But when chewing and biting continues past a certain age, leads to injuries or choking hazards, or becomes disruptive for your child, it may be time to investigate further.
At TheraPlay LA, we work with many families navigating the challenge of continued chewing and biting beyond 3-4 years old. Non-nutritive chewing may be a sensory, motor, or even medical issue, and with the right support through orofacial myofunctional therapy and targeted sensory input it can be managed and reduced over time.
What Is Non-Nutritive Chewing?
Non-nutritive chewing refers to chewing behaviors outside of eating or consuming food. Children might chew or bite:
Shirt collars or sleeves
Pencils, erasers, or toys
Their nails or fingers
Their arms or hands or other’s arms or hands
Hair or fabric
Other non-food items
This behavior is common in early development, but if it persists beyond toddlerhood, becomes intense, or interferes with function or safety, it may signal an underlying issue.
Common Diagnoses That May Include Non-Nutritive Chewing
Children with certain developmental, neurological, or sensory conditions often exhibit increased chewing and biting behaviors. These may include:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Speech delays
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
Anxiety disorders
Oral motor delays or dysfunction
Developmental delays or global hypotonia
Understanding the root cause is key to developing an effective, child-centered treatment plan that provides your child with a more adaptive way to self-soothe.
What Causes Non-Nutritive Chewing?
1. Sensory Processing Needs
Chewing provides oral proprioceptive input—deep pressure sensations in the mouth and jaw. For children who are sensory-seeking, this input helps with:
Calming and self-regulation
Increasing attention and focus
Organizing their nervous system
Pain management through a more intense sensory experience (e.g. using the chewing sensation to distract from teething pain, headaches, or jaw pain)
Chewing is often a way for children to self-soothe, especially in overstimulating environments.
2. Oral Motor Skill Delays
Children with underdeveloped or weak oral motor muscles may chew on objects to:
Strengthen their jaw and facial muscles instinctively
Compensate for challenges with chewing food or speech sounds
Provide feedback for where their mouth is in space (oral awareness)
Signs of oral motor involvement may include messy eating, challenges chewing or swallowing, drooling, or speech articulation delays.
3. Restricted Airway or Chronic Tonsillitis
Enlarged tonsils, chronic sinus congestion, and mouth breathing can contribute to chewing behaviors. Why?
The mouth may feel uncomfortable or dry
The jaw and tongue are compensating for poor function or discomfort
The child may be unconsciously soothing or stimulating the area
The tongue may be blocking the airway and chewing helps bring it forward
A child who constantly chews or bites may also snore, mouth-breathe, or struggle with frequent throat infections.
4. Behavioral or Emotional Regulation
Non-nutritive chewing can serve as a coping mechanism for children dealing with:
Anxiety or emotional overwhelm
Transitions or new environments
Difficulty self-regulating
Poor frustration tolerance
History of thumb or digit sucking that has transitioned to biting due to increased sensory needs
In these cases, chewing is often a repetitive, calming behavior the child turns to instinctively.
How Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Can Help
Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) targets the muscles of the mouth, jaw, tongue, and face to improve which can:
Reduce the need for “self-stimulating” behaviors in the mouth
Improve feeding, swallowing, and speech outcomes
Address weak or uncoordinated oral muscles
Improve jaw stability and coordination
Improve oral muscle tone and endurance
Retrain the tongue and jaw to rest in proper positions to provide proper oral sensory input
Improve tongue posture and awareness
Improve oral resting posture (lips closed, tongue up, nasal breathing)
Other Therapeutic Tools to Reduce Chewing Behaviors
In addition to OMT, our therapists use sensory integration and proprioceptive strategies to meet the child’s underlying needs:
✔️ Oral Sensory Tools
Chewelry (safe chewable necklaces or bracelets)
PLEASE NOTE: Frequent use of typical one-sided chewies can cause TMJ pain, result in development of a crossbite, and/or lead to weakness on one side of the jaw. For this reason, we highly recommend being under the care of a clinician when implementing oral motor tools.
✔️ Proprioceptive Input
Chewing and biting are often a desire for deep, calming proprioceptive input. Similar to the effect of what sucking on pacifier or a finger does. They provide lots of deep input to the oral cavity which has so many sensory receptors and is so calming to the nervous system. Providing this input in other ways may help your child regulate and refrain from seeking this input orally. This can look like:
Heavy work activities (pushing, pulling, jumping)
Deep pressure input (weighted vests, stuffies, or blankets; compression clothing)
A whole-body sensory diet created by an occupational therapist tailored to your child’s specific sensory needs
These strategies help reduce chewing behaviors by meeting their sensory need in a more functional way! For recommended sensory products, check out our Sensory Integration Shop page!
When to Seek Help for Chewing
If your child frequently chews on non-food objects and:
Is over age 3–4
Is at risk of injury or ingesting non-edible materials
Is biting their nails or cuticles
Is chewing clothing, school supplies, or personal items
Shows signs of speech or feeding delays
Is struggling with behavior, attention, or anxiety
…it's time to seek a professional evaluation.
How TheraPlay LA Supports Children with Chewing Behaviors
At TheraPlay LA, our multidisciplinary team takes a whole-child approach to understanding and supporting non-nutritive chewing. We:
Identify the underlying cause(s)
Provide orofacial myofunctional and sensory-based interventions
Offer individualized home programs
Collaborate with ENTs, dentists, and pediatricians when needed
Our goal is to help children reduce excessive chewing and biting, build healthy oral habits, and help your child thrive in daily routines.
Ready to Support Your Child?
If you’ve noticed frequent chewing or biting behaviors in your child, we’re here to help!
Contact us today to schedule a discovery call and explore how TheraPlay LA’s expert team can support your child’s development with tailored therapy solutions!
