#fun and function

[image description: stock photo on a white-fading-to-grey background of six fabric bands in bright colours--blue, pink, orange, green, yellow and purple--coiled into a rough infinity symbol shape. The bands appear to be a strip of fabric akin to a fine terry towelling sewn into a tube with a seam down one side. The watermark for the store Fun and Function, text above two hand prints with smiley faces sitting at the base of the palms, is visible in the bottom left-hand corner.]

Bite Bands -  Fun and Function, $25.99 USD for six.

The colours for these aren’t even remotely subtle, but for folks who prefer chewing on fabric over silicone, and don’t want or aren’t able to DIY a version (for example, braiding an old T-shirt) these might be worth considering as a chew option.

I haven’t touched the ARK strings myself, but in discussions with Mod Rainbow (who has), they’re the same as or very similar to the rough, scratchy strings that come with some Chewigem chewables. Neither of us liked those strings because of the roughness!

(This is Rainbow’s review of the Chew Star Pendant; this is my review of the Chewigem Dog Tags Pendant. We both discuss scratchy cords.)

Anything that’s listed as using silky cord or rattail cord is going to absorb water or saliva, because it’s a soft, loosely woven fibre. There’s no resistance to absorption whatsoever.

I still had my cut-off Chewigem cord, so I quickly ran it under the tap to see how well it absorbs. It doesn’t absorb as much as the silky/rattail, and it took longer to absorb what it did, but it still got wet enough to give the wet string feeling. I’d say it’s better than the rattail, but not so much that I’d recommend it to someone seeking to avoid that sensory ick.

(If anyone can confirm specifically for @andinuffishthought​ how water-resistent the ARK Therapeutic cords are, I’d be grateful. They might differ in this respect to the Chewigem cords.)

However. Because I have a collection of various cords and elastics, I ran a whole bunch of things under the tap, and my recommendation for you would be to buy a pendant and restring it with hat elastic. It absorbed water least of everything I tried and dried fastest, a lot faster. You will still get some wet cord feeling, but not as much and for not as long. Five minutes after drenching, and I wet all cords thoroughly, the scratchy Chewigem cord still felt wet and the elastic was almost dry.

(You can buy packets in various thicknesses from most dollar shops, sewing shops or the sewing sections of supermarkets. The medium and thicker weights, which are what I’d use as a cord replacement, are easy to source.)

Stimtastic’s YouTube video shows how a cord can be shortened, but if folks want a tutorial on replacing a string entirely, let me know because I can absolutely add it to my list of things to do. (I had a quick Google, but I couldn’t find a tutorial.) I can even do it with hat elastic to demonstrate how it works, if needed; it won’t be treated any differently than any other cord, and I’ve used it as a necklace cord before.

Additionally, chains designed for chewables exist: Fun and Function sells an 8 pack of half cords, half ball chains for $12.99 USD. Wet-but-easily-dried ball chain might be preferable than cord.

Does this help some?

Stimming is great for focus. Mod K.A.’s post here lists heaps of options for hand stim toys that can still be used when you need to type or write. I wanted to make a post focusing on stim toys that are made to be used as part of sitting, or that can be used with your feet.

A pedal exerciser is made of just the pedals of an exercise bike and can sit underneath a desk. (AU $33.60, ships from Australia.)

[Image description: Photo of a black pedal exerciser, which has two pedals attached to a thin plastic block about 50cm/1.5 feet tall, with a digital display and several buttons.]

A bouncy band is an elastic band that sits between the front legs of your chair. You can rest your feet on it, behind it, or in front of it, and fidget with it. I think it would be very easy to by a length of elastic from a craft shop to try a DIY option. It may not be as durable, but it could give you an idea of whether this is an option that will work for you. (The one in the link is AU $23.59, shipping from Australia.)

(Note: I’d try the knock-off TheraBands available from K-Mart over elastic - Stretch Bands, $8 AUD for a pack of three bands with different resistances. These are much wider than elastic and will give your foot something to cup against, plus you can fold them over to thicken them up. Be warned that they absolutely reek of chemical plastic odour. I don’t think these are natural latex like proper TheraBands, but wouldn’t recommend them for folks with latex allergies or chemical sensitivities, to be safe. Mine are airing out, but slowly. Also see our TheraBand tag for where to find the real thing. - Mod. K.A.)

If you are able to be barefoot, there’s lots of different ways you can stim with your feet:

There’s a traditional foot massager, made of rolling, wooden beads with spikes. (AU $6.95, ships internationally from China.)

This plastic foot massage mat is made up of lots of really interesting textures. (AU $7.78, ships internationally  from Hong Kong and China.)

Spiky massage balls are interesting for all sorts of stimming, and are often recommended for pain in the arch of your foot. (AU $2 at K-Mart Australia, often found in toy stores, cheap stores and stores that specialise in Occupational Therapy and stim toys.)

You can find interesting textures in plenty of different places for DIY stim toys. Smooth river rocks, a fluffy rug or a wooden bath mat are some of the options that appeal to me. (Bamboo bath mat is AU $39.95, ships from Australia.)

[Image description: Six plastic foot massage mats locked together, in blue, pink, purple, green, red and yellow. A person can be seen standing on them from the knees down. Each mat has about 150 raised plastic hemispheres which are covered in bumps. In the centre is a large bump surrounded by a circle of medium bumps. The ebay listing describes it as 27cm x 28cm.]

You can also consider how you’re sitting. An office chair is an option that’s often already in your environment. You can rock, spin, or twist side to side. Gym balls are often recommended as a replacement for chairs because they’re good for posture, but they’re also good for gently rocking and bouncing on. You also can’t recline into a lazy, slouched position like you can on a chair, so you always have to keep a little bit of focus on staying in the right position. (AU $10 from K-Mart Australia, often available in department stores or for more expensive in sports and fitness stores.)

A less dramatic option is something like this spiky tactile cushion, which inflates and has spikes one side and nubs the other. Like sitting on a gym ball, it encourages you to move around a bit. The texture of the seat also provides tactile input. (US $30.99, ships internationally from the US.)