Yes, I think this might be possible with him, but we've tried to redirect his chewing to other things, and so far it's a no-go. He does have rubber things he can chew, but he prefers fabric. We tried tying bandanas loosely around his neck, and somehow they never seem to stay on long. His care-taker at school removes them herself when he's there. We can ask her not too, but we have little control over what they do when we're not there (that's another battle I won't go into).

Anyway, teaching him to chew on acceptable alternatives may be the way to go long-term; it's just going to take some time.
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The journey is more important than the destination.