For parents, knowing how to stop their autistic child from chewing clothes can be a challenge.

Although each child is different, in this article we provide some ideas and tactics for you to try in order to overcome this behaviour.

Autism and chewing clothes

There are a host of reasons why a parent of an autistic child would want to tackle this behaviour. There are the obvious hygiene issues in play but also the fact that it may be a blocker to your child’s speech development.

What is of note is the fact that different forms of mouthing behaviours are common. So whilst you may at times feel alone there will be thousands of parents out there in a similar position.

Whilst we would never claim to be able to wave a magic wand here are some things you can try.

Identify triggers

The most important step will be to identify triggers and causes.

You would be well served to keep a record of when and where the chewing occurs, as well as any patterns.

Something like just having a running log on your phone is sufficient to get a greater understanding of why your child is engaging in this activity.

What you may notice is that your child engages in this behaviour when they are tired, frustrated, hungry, bored or overwhelmed.

Armed with that information you can set about tackling the issue.

Provide alternatives

Offer alternative sensory experiences that can satisfy the child’s need for oral stimulation.

You could consider providing chew toys or crunchy snacks for example. Parents are often divided on using chew toys but they can act as a gateway to reducing mouthing behaviour.

You could also offer sugar free chewy sweets as an alternative for your child when they start to chew their clothes.

Some parents utilise chewing gum in such situations and that would be something you could also consider.

Please bear in mind that providing any object or food type for your child comes with obvious safety concerns. Always be aware of choking risks and provide appropriate size and shaped items.

Reward good behaviour

Use positive reinforcement techniques, such as praise, or rewards to reinforce positive behaviours and redirect chewing.

An example of this would be if your child starts to engage in chewing but you are able to divert them you could provide a reward of some sort.

Be sure to accompany any reward with verbal or picture based praise.

You could use emotion cards to highlight the fact that you are happy.

Adapt clothing

It may be that your child has a particular taste for one material. By operating a tactic of trial and error you can try to establish what clothing they are more likely to chew.

Naturally if it was cotton then you will struggle to replace that entirely but you could for example choose clothes which had a different material on cuffs and collars.

Work on communication

If your child struggles with communication it is likely you are already working on this aspect of their development.

With that said we would recommend alternative forms such as makaton or PECS.

You could also try emotion cards to highlight that chewing clothes makes you angry or sad.

Summary – How to stop an autistic child chewing clothes

Stopping an autistic child from chewing clothes can be a challenging task.

It requires a combination of sensory interventions, behavioural strategies, and environmental modifications.

Each child is unique, and what works for one child may not work for another.

Therefore, it’s essential to be patient and try different approaches until you find the one that works best for the child.

Remember that early intervention and consistent support can make a significant difference in helping the child overcome this behaviour.