ADHD Archives - Page 8 of 9 - KidCompanions Chewelry & SentioCHEWS

February 11, 2013

KidCompanions Chewelry & SentioCHEWS: SAFE, Sensory Chew Necklaces and Clip-on Fidgets

ADHD, Asperger's, Autism, Blog, Kid Companions Chewelry, Sensory Processing Disorder, SentioChews, Special needs children

Pierrette and Lorna d’Entremont are co-owners of SentioLife Solutions, Ltd., the makers of two sensory tool lines “KidCompanions Chewelry” and Tougher-than-Silicone SentioCHEWS. Our goal is to help special kids be themselves and thrive. Our sensory chew necklaces and our clip-on fidgets give parents peace of mind and support their children who MUST bite, chew or fidget.

Our chew pendants are SAFE! They are BPA, lead, latex, pcv, and phthalate free and serve as chew necklaces and as handy fidgets! These age-appropriate, oral-motor tools are sold online and in retail stores as well as in educational and special needs catalogues around the world.

10 Comments

February 8, 2013

Kids, Tweens and Teens with ADHD Focus Better when Allowed to Use Chewelry or Fidgets

ADHD, Blog, IEP Accommodations School, Kid Companions Chewelry, Sensory Processing Disorder, Special needs children

(This article has been updated 22 Sep, 2018)

Excessive chewing or fidgeting is sometimes an indication that your child with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) needs to MOVE! Moreover, some youngsters with ADHD will chew or bite on anything within their reach, because chewing IS movement. For hygiene, safety and even economical reasons, we are seeing that safer alternatives to commonly chewed items like pen tops, pencils, shirt sleeves and collars, cords, etc. should be provided to satisfy this overwhelming need to chew, bite or/and fidget.

9 Comments

February 1, 2013

KidCompanions Chewelry Designed by a Mom Who Knows About Special Needs

ADHD, Asperger's, Autism, Blog, Feeding problems, Kid Companions Chewelry, Sensory Processing Disorder, Special needs children

WHO is behind KidCompanions Chewelry? Pierrette d’Entremont, a mom who breast fed her three children, felt there was a need on the market for a safe item to occupy the exploring hands of a baby being fed or held. Pierrette developed a two-part pendant and a custom breakaway clasp which she called HeartString Baby’s Companions . This process took a while. Then this handy chewy or fidget toy for infants and toddlers evolved into a sensory oral-motor tool for individuals with special needs. Here is the KidCompanions Chewelry story!

8 Comments

January 19, 2013

Students with Special Needs – Substitute Teacher: Proactive Steps to Make it Work

ADHD, Asperger's, Autism, Bipolar Mental Health, Blog, IEP Accommodations School, mental disorders/illness, Sensory Processing Disorder, Special needs children, special needs moms

Teaching in inclusive classrooms is very challenging. Being a substitute teacher or supply teacher in one is even more difficult. The school administrator and regular teacher can do a lot to make the transition to a substitute teacher go more smoothly for students with special needs. Parents also can prepare their child with special needs so they can accept this change and work well with the relief teacher or casual teacher. What are the steps both the school and parents can take to make a substitute’s stay pleasant and productive for the students with different needs and a positive experience for the substitute teacher?

15 Comments

January 17, 2013

Importance of “Play” for Kids, Tweens, and Teens

ADHD, Blog, Parenting all kids, physical activities, Special needs children

Jill Howlett Mays, MS, OTR/L was my guest on The Coffee Klatch Tweetchat I hosted a few years back. We had a marvelous session on some of the topics covered in her book Your Child’s Motor Development Story Understanding and Enhancing Development from Birth to Their First Sport that came out in the Fall of 2011. Our topic of discussion was Importance of “Play” for Kids, Tweens, and Teens. For the first segment of our session I had a Q&A period with Jill and then it was Open Forum so participants could tweet questions or comments.

1 Comments

January 17, 2013

Who Can Benefit from Using Chew Necklaces and Chewy Hand Fidgets?

ADHD, Asperger's, Autism, Kid Companions Chewelry, Sensory Processing Disorder, Special needs children, Tourette Syndrome

Most people cannot start to imagine what parents of children with special needs go through. Most have a hard time to understand that SentioLife Solutions, the Canadian company that designed and assembles chew necklaces made in Canada, receives orders everyday of the year for their mouth and hand chewable fidgets. These chew necklaces bring comfort not only to kids, tweens and teens but more and more adults are relying on them to satisfy their overwhelming urge to chew, bite, and/or fidget.

3 Comments

January 10, 2013

Why Kids Bite Their Nails? Tools, Tips and Tactics to Stop Nail Biting

ADHD, Bipolar Mental Health, Blog, mental health, Parenting all kids, sleep depression school, Special needs children

Nail biting is one of the most common ‘nervous traits’ in children but if it is not stopped, many times it continues into adulthood. Some children bite their nails because of stress, insecurity, anxiety or boredom. For some, nail biting is a habit or a need for comfort. Like hair twirling, hair chewing, hair tugging, teeth grinding, thumb sucking, finger tapping, and nose picking, nail biting makes you a target for teasing and is a health concern.

24 Comments

January 8, 2013

Chewy and Fidget for Kids, Tweens and Teens

ADHD, Asperger's, Autism, Blog, Feeding problems, IEP Accommodations School, Kid Companions Chewelry, Sensory Processing Disorder, Special needs children, Tourette Syndrome

A chewy and fidget are used to satisfy the needs of many who have an overwhelming urge to chew, bite, and fidget to get on with the day. These sensory oral-motor tools are chewable and wearable chew pendants for people with special needs like autism or that have sensory challenges. Individuals of all ages use them for focusing, calming, alerting, and to increase oral sensory awareness. Many who find transitions difficult, hold on to their familiar chewable necklace and feel less stressed going from home to school and from classroom to different parts of the school.

3 Comments

January 8, 2013

Melatonin As a Sleep Aid for Children and Teens?

ADHD, Asperger's, Autism, Bipolar Mental Health, Blog, Sensory Processing Disorder, sleep depression school, Special needs children

Over-the-counter melatonin supplements; are they safe? The different opinions about recommending them to help children and teens with special needs sleep issues.

65 Comments

December 27, 2012

Sensory Tools Help a Child to Survive Sensory Overload, Calm and Focus

ADHD, Asperger's, Autism, Blog, IEP Accommodations School, Kid Companions Chewelry, Sensory Processing Disorder, Special needs children, Tourette Syndrome

Who likes to drive during rush hour? No one! What is life like for a person with sensory processing disorder (SPD)? An overwhelmed individual with SPD likened his life as having a “traffic jam” in his brain. If your child has sensory issues that often come hand-in-hand with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, ADD/ADHD, Tourette syndrome, etc. have your child evaluated by a professional. Often the child will be referred to an occupational therapist (OT) who will be able to help your child. What will an OT suggest to parents to help their child with sensory integration issues? Also what exactly is sensory processing disorder?

8 Comments

December 27, 2012

What Is a Sensory Diet?

ADHD, Asperger's, Autism, Blog, IEP Accommodations School, Kid Companions Chewelry, Sensory Processing Disorder, SentioChews, Special needs children, Tourette Syndrome

If your child is diagnosed with sensory processing disorder (SPD) often his occupational therapist will plan a Sensory Diet to help him. What is SPD? Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) or, as if was called before Sensory Integration Disorder, is a complex disorder of the brain that affects one in twenty people. Sensory processing disorder is a neurological disorder causing difficulties with taking in, processing, and responding to sensory information about the environment and from within one’s own body. Individuals can be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to varying degrees and may have trouble with one of the senses, a few, or all of them.

8 Comments

December 13, 2012

Customize Your Child’s Sensory Box – What Items to Choose and Why

ADHD, Asperger's, Autism, Blog, IEP Accommodations School, Kid Companions Chewelry, Sensory Processing Disorder, Special needs children

Do you use a Sensory box? What do you put in a sensory box? Why do some individuals NEED items to bite, chew and fidget? How can we help kids meet their sensory needs to be successful students and happy campers? This post will help parents and teachers understand that some children, and even many adults, should be provided with a SAFE sensory tool to chew, bite and or fidget. Why?

7 Comments