8Yr Old Autistic Son Needs Help W/thumbsucking - Anyone Done the Appliance?

My son was an addict too!! lol I can laugh about it now, but it is HELL going through this with one that is so attached to the thumb!! I feel your pain. I got a device called the Thumb Guard. Go to thumbguard.com and you can look at it. They also have phone numbers to call and get advise. I recommend that you use them with a band aid underneath, so he can't pull it off. My son would slip his thumbs out at night, and when I called the help number he suggested the band aid's so it creates a suction and he can't get it off. It's going to be tough, but worth it. Good LUCK!!!! ps if you need more of the wrist bands that you use for it they carry them at the Party Store (near the raffle tickets and stuff like that).

Sucking the thumb is a security issue with most children. Sense your son is autistic, This is an outlet for him. He will outgrow it like most kids. I feel personaly the worst thing to do is force him. This will make him want to do it more. And to make him feel bad with peer presure to me is not a good way either. Sense he has his disability to make him feel bad, is not the best route to take. If it is affecting his teeth, then taking him to an orthodontist would be wise. But as parents we have to think. Are we wanting our child to stop because it embarrasses us or the child.

well, I wasn't autistic, but I sucked my thumb until I was 7 or so. And I believe what my mom did to finally stop me was to tie little socks around my hands at night (that is when it mainly occured)with a string, and gradually I stopped. She tied them on lightly, but strongly enough to stay on. I would have horrible looking callouses on my thumbs from all the sucking. But that is what did the trick. I don't know if this would work in your situation.

If it brings him comfort, if it is not really causing any problems, my thought is to let him. Why remove something that brings some calm to him? Sometimes we tend to persist what is resisted.

I chewed my fingernails all my life, in spite of trying every imaginable "remedy" to quit. It wasnt until I made some big changes in my life (and I was in my 40's!), which involved really listening to my inner being, that I quit doing it, without even realizing I had until I noticed my longer fingernails! My point is: As long as I needed that "comfort", I used it, but once I was able to find "comfort" in other ways, I released it. Some people get their oral stimulation and calm by smoking a cigarette.......when you consider that habit, thumbsucking might not be such a bad one!

My son is in the Autism Spectrum also. Thumb sucking is a way to cope and self soothe. If this is some thing that brings him comfort and lets him be able to self soothe and function better, why stop him? Is it affecting his teeth? Is it affecting his speach? Or is it purley that you dont think it is an acceptable behavior? If that is the case... what a horrible diservice you are doing to your son by not letting him have that comfort to get through the day. My son rocks... I would stop the behavior if it were hurting or hindering him in some way, but it is his method to cope with stress and it hurts no one. It may not be a behavior other"normal" 4 year olds have... but most other 4 year olds are not "in spectrum" either. Good luck and Im sure you will make the best choice for your son.

Although my son is now 24, when he was in 2nd grade (which really not sure if that around the same age or not) he was still sucking his thumb. We did just like everyone else has and that was tried it all. The strange thing is his older sister sucked her thumb up until she turned 5 and I looked at her and said aren't you getting a bit old for that since now you're a big girl and she stopped from that point on in public, and soon broke herself of it at night. Just shows you the difference in kids.

Anyway back on subject. We did use a device that the dentist placed in the mouth. First it was all rounded and nice and well all I can tell you is my son worked around that little puppy and soon broke it. So our Dentist took the broken one and removed the rounded piece at the bottom and left the three little points, nothing that would really harm but that would discourage. All I can say is within less than 1 month he was done sucking his thumb, and there was no more broken expensive appliance to worry about. It was removed and that was the end of that.

So yes I would highly recommend it. I think it help him with his self confidence since he really did want to stop, but just like any addiction sometimes we need a little help and I believe children in many cases are just the same. I wish you the best in what ever you choose to do.

As for a recommendation the dentist we used was Dr. Lee I believe he is out on 75th Ave & Bell Rd. I know because my oldest daughter still uses him. He was wonderful with children and obviously adults. If you can't locate him and want his number let me know and I will get it for you.