Obsessive chewing

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When I was little I chewed everything: Drinking straws, toys, my shirt, my nails, pens, pencils, plastic shopping bags, paper. I would never eat them, just chew on them. usually until my mouth became too sore to do so.

I still chew things at times, like the back of a pen, or a plastic bag, or paper. I still bite my nails.

I am guessing this is a ASD thing because the only other person I know of who does this is my little brother, and he is autistic.

are any of you "chewers"? or know if this is due to ASD?

I chew the inside of my mouth, my fingers, finger nails, knuckles, tooth picks occasionally. I chew ice when I get it in my drinks.

I bit my nails for sixteen years, I chew the inside of my mouth and my lip until it's raw, I chew my shirt when I'm lying down, I chew ice whenever the opportunity presents itself...they sell toys for children 'chewers' online with other sensory aids. I'd say it's an ASD thing. An oral stim, if you will.

I recently broke my nail biting habit. I chew an awful lot of gum. When I was little I would chew my hair.

... That's about it though.

It's just a nervous habit, not in any way related to ASD (as far as I know).

When I was young I chewed on my baby blanket so I don't have one anymore. Even today I find myself chewing on my sleeping shirt.

I'm almost always chewing on the inside of my lower lip or cheek. I guess it's like a practically invisible stim. When I get more stressed, I go to my knuckles. Most stressed, I chew my nails until they almost bleed.

I chew or bite on lots of things, too, blankets, shirt sleeves, other people's shirt collars when I hug them (one time, I almost bit Garrison Keillor!), pens, pencils, anything that gets close to my mouth, really. It could be a kind of stim, maybe. It usually happens sort of absently, but I do notice it happening more often when I am nervous or excited, or have some other kind of strong emotion.

Chewing or oral motor seeking (as it is technically known as) is definately to do with ASD although not everyone with ASD does it and its not exclusive to ASD.
I definately have it and it drives me nuts, i bite my lower lip i do it when stressed and when excited and when bored and its such a habit I do it when I am concentrating on a task such as studying and it has become automatic (that is not under conscious control.)
It has taken many forms over the years the most interesting by far was when i was in high school i had braces and learnt to put on and take of the elastic bands with my tongue - i literally did it compulsively all day long, and yeah it looked really weird.
When habits become automatic they are very difficult to break.
It is definately a stim to calm down emotions, and is also related to sensory seeking in the oral touch sense - the mouth has many receptors way more than finger tips that is why babies put things in their mouth so they can learn about the world most effectively.

If it is causing you discomfort bleeding or other problems such as embarrassment then the best thing to do is to try to turn the oral stim into something else more socially appropriate. Just like hand flapping can become hand tapping on surfaces or knuckle cracking.

I have tried getting an electric toothbrush and brushing my teeth, gums, inside of mouth, tongue and lips if the urge is too strong to overcome in order to get my fix. It does get rid of the urge for a short time.
Also chewing gum could be an alternative.

Good luck.