Understanding Pica and Honoring Individual Needs | Episode 21
Episode 21: Understanding pica and honoring individual needs.
Within the Village Engagement Matrix™, children in the Seedling Stage (Pre-K–2nd grade) are learning to regulate their bodies, emotions, and attention in ways that are unique to their individual development.
During Architect Phase I, parents and caregivers intentionally create environments that support those individual needs while helping children build confidence and trust.
In Episode 21, we discuss pica and one of the accommodations that supported my son during elementary school.
When my son was in first grade, he frequently chewed on the cords attached to his classroom headset.
Rather than viewing the behavior simply as something that needed to stop, his teacher and I worked together to find a safer alternative.
She allowed him to chew a small piece of gum during class and explained to his classmates that equity means everyone gets what they need to succeed.
At the time, I didn’t fully understand why chewing helped him.
Years later, as an Oak Tree, we talked about that experience again.
He smiled and said, “Chewing gum was like a fidget spinner for my mouth.
It’s like a stress ball for your mouth.”
In that moment, something I had supported intuitively finally made sense through his own words.
Through the lens of the Village Engagement Matrix™, this episode illustrates that we don’t always have to fully understand a child’s experience before we honor it.
Sometimes the most important thing we can do is listen, observe, and respond with respect. As children grow, they often develop the language to explain needs they couldn’t yet express.
Those conversations don’t just deepen our understanding of them—they affirm that they have always been the experts on their own experience.
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