Your 9-year-old's oral fixation could be due to a few reasons, but one potential explanation is related to sensory processing.
Understanding Oral Fixations
An oral fixation refers to a persistent focus on oral stimulation, often involving behaviors like chewing, sucking, or biting objects. While these behaviors are common in infancy and early childhood, they can sometimes persist in older children.
Sensory Sensitivity and Oral Fixations
According to available information, some children have hypersensitivity in their mouths. This hypersensitivity means that:
- They may require more oral stimulation: Their sensory system craves input to feel regulated and satisfied.
- They seek oral input: To meet this need, children might bite, chew, or suck on various objects they can find. This is their way of fulfilling the sensation they are craving.
In summary, if your child has an oral fixation it could be because children may be hypersensitive to objects in their mouths, and therefore may require/crave more oral stimulation.
