Eatting of non-food item

I have a son that is 3 1/2 yrs old now. He has SID and is speech delayed and alittle gross motor delayed.  He is in preschool now and rec'd his theraphy at school 1-2 times aweek.  But the problem that I also have is that he eats non-food items such as strings anything with fuzz and stuffed animals, rugs,dirt,sand,paper,stickers,anything that has a netting to it and then some.  I have spoke with nummerous Dr.s and nobody can give me any ideas of why he does this they have checked his lead and iron levels and they are ok.  He is also a VERY picky eatter he will only eat a few things that are food.  I know this isn't good for him but he will tell you that it is good and that it taste good and swallows it. Thank you.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

This condition is called Pica and is often witnessed in children who display developmental disorders. There are not always nutritional deficits that contribute to the behavior. It requires close supervision and limit setting, and the management of the behavior is the most sensible intervention.

[ecampbe3]

My son (almost 7) also eats paper, and eats holes in his clothing.  He is gifted (IQ in the 99.7 percentile) but has some internal anxiety and is difficult to interact with.  We are seeing a therapist, when we catch him eating paper or chewing his clothes - we take away privledges.  Not sure how else to handle this.

[Michigan Kitten]

My daughter is 5 and is diagnosed with Ashberg Syndrome. She only chews on her hair, clothes or body parts. Her therapist says its normal and not to worry. She is a very picky eater and will only eat spagetti noodles with sauce. I have yet to find a way to get her to stop. Taking privaliges away does not work, that just means she don't have to socialize with anyone or anything. I'm not sure where to go with this or what else I can do without feeding into the non-socialization, and lack of interest in anything.