Question:  I’m a therapist searching for a product for an older woman with intellectual disabilities. She loves food and drink, but it’s not an option to drink and eat all day.  So we’re looking for a safe way to her to chew without actually eating. I was thinking about your grabbers? What do you think? Hope you can help me :-)

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It does sound like our Grabbers would be a great idea.  I often recommend these for individuals who can’t eat by mouth, but still want/need to chew.  For example, many individuals who have a g-tube use our chew tools.  They can't eat orally, but still have an instinct/craving to chew.  

My gut says that in addition to a Grabber, she may like having a few different chew tools to choose from at any given point.  Food comes in all different kinds of shapes/sizes/densities/textures, so something similarly diverse may be the most satisfying.

All of our chew tools come in 3 color-coded toughness levels.  The softest level is the most chewy, like a big wad of gum almost.  The toughest XXT level is the most rigid, closest to a carrot for example.  And there's a middle level in between.  Some days she might crave something crunchy / hard-to-chew like the XXT level; other days she might want something chewier that she can really "sink her teeth" into like the soft level.

Also like food, some chew tools have a smooth surface (like the smooth Grabbers); others have textured surfaces with bumps and nubs and ridges (like the Textured Grabbers).  Both simulate the feel of different kinds of real foods.  

So with an assortment of different chew tools, she can get a variety of densities + textures that mimic a diet of real food, without being actual food.

To see all of the chew tool options, click here.  If you decide to get additional options besides the Grabber, I'd recommend any of the shapes that have a long extension (like the Guitar, Y-Chew, or any of these).  The reason being that these are long/slender enough to reach the back molars, which is usually where we chew the most / need the most input to the jaw.

Debbie

Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP

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