Good question

My son doesnt mouth things. He just has trouble staying on his cot during nap time (he is not a napper at 5.5, but the daycare insists that they nap), so he tends to get a little too curious" about things that he can reach, so I bought the fidgets to avoid the curiosity. I mainly bought for him those little stretchy animal things (lizards, etc.) , and I would throw them out daily. The other fidgets were wooden (Jacobs ladder and one other bendy puzzle type of thing) , and from what I understand wood is antibacterial by nature (think cutting boards)

And since the teacher disallowed them after 3 days, its a non-issue. He doesnt play with them at home. This teacher is the first of 3 classrooms at the daycare where there has been a problem with naptime (and other times, too) We will be parting ways in 1 week, I am sending my son off to daycamp instead. Crossing my fingers that Kindergarten will be okay.

That cushion for the chair has worked wonders for my friends son. The teacher tells her that she wishes every student had one, and I guess there are several that do (and its a mainstream classroom). I dont know if its written into his IEP, Id have to ask her. I have no idea how it works, but I guess it really focuses the child and takes away the need to fidget.

My friend has been through a few years of IEPs now, and she has learned that you have to have every little item written into it, or the school may not want to go along with it. Naive me (without children in elem. school yet) thought that schools would always put the needs of the child first; I was wrong!! Listening to my friends experiences, some schools have their finances foremost in their mind. It is sad.

I hope you and your DS will have a great summer!

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