DS is chewing/fiddling like crazy

Ds is 7.5 and in 2nd grade. We've been dealing with issues with him and are waiting until he can be evaluated by the psychiatrist at 8 (they don't eval kids under 8) and I have yet another student study meeting for him tomorrow. He's most likely ADHD with a strong anxiety component. Anyways my most recent frustration is his fiddling. We got him glasses last spring (astigmatism) and for the first few months they went OK. We did a variety of straps and they seemed to work OK. Well DH decided to not use a strap because he was pulling the glasses up and down and that was bending the frames around and so he took it off and now DS has eaten the plastic ends off his glasses and is continually bending them at class. I was having him just wear them at class recently so he wouldn't fiddle with them at home. Now that his glasses are broken he is eating his shirts... DH took his glasses to be fixed or something today (I was sleeping-worked last night) and I need some suggestions of something a little more appropriate to fiddle with than his glasses or his shirt....

If you do a search for Body Focused Repetitive Disorder on google you will find lots of ideas. BFRD's tend to be things like nail biting, skin picking etc. but it comes from the same self-soothing urge. Some alternates are chewing gum or snapping a rubber band around your wrist. GL!

My DD- 9 yo- is also ADHD and anxiety and fidgets constantly. Her nails are almost always bitten down to stumps. She has a 504 plan for school and one of her accommodations is a fidget toy. We finally came up with silly putty (she ripped Velcro apart, and played golf with her one stress ball, and tore another one to bits). She also doodles a lot. Gum slso helps. Having something for her to do with her hands/ a d or mouth really helps her to relax and focus. I would try to find something like that for your son. Also, why does he have to wait to be 8 for an evaluation? ADHD can be accurately diagnosed by 7.

My 7yo chews his shirts due to sensory processing disorder (he also has autism and ADHD). He has a set of P and Q things that he can chew on: http://www.amazon.com/Chewy-Tubes-Ps.../dp/B0018C0HTI

I give him those whenever he chews, but obviously he doesn't like to use them at school. We're going to look into gum or sippy water bottles for school (we talked about it at his IEP meeting, so they'd allow it for him).

My 9yo DS has been chewing on shirts and fiddling with everything since around age 7. He has ASD and the chewing gets really bad when there is something he is anxious about. His school polo shirts from last year were completely destroyed. So far this year we seem to be on top of his anxiety triggers and the chewing has stopped.

He has various fidget toys that he uses in school - Theraputty was great both for fidgeting and sensory needs. He also has a few versions of the Tangles fidget toys - I think both the chrome and the original textured one. Plus, he has some pencil toppers this year that are less "toy" looking and his therapist thinks are better for him now that he's getting older. I haven't actually seen them as they are in school but I think it is like a screw with a nut that you spin on and off.

Although, even with the fidget toys, when there was something triggering his anxiety, there was really nothing we could do to stop him from chewing his shirts. We discussed the chewy tubes with his Dr. and therapist and for various reasons decided to not go that route. I just decided to not get upset about it because it was so out of both mine and his control. Thankfully, we have worked hard with him to become more self-aware and recognize his anxiety triggers and as a result the shirt chewing has mostly stopped.

Thanks for all the input everyone!

Apparently costco gave us new ear pieces! This is after fixing the nose pads 5 times and bending them back together numerous times. I am so impressed with them! These were $99 glasses (frames and lenses). Anyways, the reason I couldn't get him evaluated before 8 was that was the rule for the 1 place that takes our insurance. I called yesterday to go ahead and get the ball rolling and the person that does the evals is leaving so they won't be doing it anymore. I have a call in with someone they recommend and I'm passed caring if it will be $1 K out of pocket or not (which is the rate I've been quoted by a number of places). Why does this have to be so hard to get a kid evaluated? I am a nurse, I work for the largest employer in this town (the local hospital) and have "good" insurance.

ETA the place I called called me back, they do take my insurance, DS is on the cancellation list and if there are no cancellations the 4 appointments are set starting in Jan (one for parents, 2 testing appointments (because she doesn't have any 2 hour blocks) and 1 review appointment!