Nervous Habit? Adhd?

I suggest this is related to his ADHD and a processing disorder that frequently goes along with ADHD,but not his medicine unless the one he's taking causes his mouth to be dry. My grandson licks and sucks on his lips and frequently has a red chapped ring around his lips even when he's not on medication.

He's in special ed and they encourage him to chew gum. Sucking on hard candy would also help. Sucking on a straw to drink water might also help. The told us to have my grandson suck and blow on a straw for occupational therapy. He's had chapped lips less often since starting this.

FYI, some ADHD medication can cause dry mouth as a side effect. If he's not used to it, he could end up licking his lips a lot in response, and then kind of doing it all the time because it's irritated.

Teach him to sip water throughout the day. Or suck a hard candy if that's allowed.

My son has a similar issue and is also on ADHD medication, but we just remind him to wear chapstick and sip water when he can.

Hope this helps.

T.

Definitely sounds like a nervous habit. Those type of things usually work themselves out. Try not to draw too much attention to it-or it could get worse.
My little brother did something like that when he was struggling with S. grade. In his school picture he had a cowlick and a scab the entire length of his bottom lip from rubbing his tongue there. Being the lovely older sister I teased him relentlessly-and it only made the situation worse.

We do weird things to naturally unstress. I've been a nailbiter my entire life. I used to lick my lips all the time when I was a little kid and had the red ring around my mouth... my mom said it was mostly in winter tho (dry weather).
I'd try not to make a big deal of it to him, but maybe when you see his mouth over working, offer him a bottle of water maybe witha straw in it.

My son does the same thing and he's not on ADHD meds, so I don't think it's his meds. He also picks the erasers off his pencils, picks his clothes everything he can. The dr said its like a involuntary thing some kids with ADHD do. Not so much an anxiety or nervious habit. Just something they do.

It almost sounds like he is 'tweaking' (how crank users act and look when they are high)...my guess would be it's his medication.

So, yes...a nervous habit caused by the meds (is it a stimulant?)would be a fair guess.

My 9 year old daughter has been "chewing her tongue" for years now. It looks like she's eating or chewing gum, but she's just chewing her tongue. I've never worried about it, just figured it was a nervous habit like you mentioned. She doesn't take any medication, so that's not a factor for her.