potty training my autistic daughter ...

Wendy - posted on 10/08/2009

This is still our struggle at home as well. My son is 4 and in developmental preschool. He will go at school and off and on at home. We have him in pullups that the state provides us. But it is on and off at home. And he will fight it sometimes and sometimes he will go in there by him self. It is a sensory issue. Working with your OT will help out a lot. It has us. He has come along way from screaming on the toilet to going off and on.

Marie - posted on 10/08/2009

hi there its good she will do that at school sometimes like alot of things they have a routine for school and r totally different at home,could it be that the toilets are smaller at school,have you got a little step nr toilet? my boy is five and he is Autistic i am really struggling with him going to the toilet i think it will be a long slow process, he will sit on toilet but is still unaware wen he has messed his nappy and this is the same at school, all i can say is keep going ur doing a great job and im sure they will get it in end, take care x :)

Heather - posted on 10/06/2009

my little brother is 13 and is still have issues with potty training we just keep asking him and making sure he dont have to go and then we would reward him after he did for like a week he got something he wanted if he had to accidents! hope this helps

Jennifer - posted on 10/06/2009

I had a hard time with my daughter also. I started trying just before she turned 2 and she immediately took to it, then regressed only a short time later. I bought a sheet of poster board and hung it on the bathroom wall. Each time she used the potty, I'd reward her with a sticker for her chart. It helped a lot as she loved stickers at that age. However she was not accident free for years. If she was involved in an activity or we were outside away from the bathroom, she'd end up going in her pants. I would sometimes ask her why she didn't use the potty on the potty, and she would tell me that she "didn't feel it". I couldn't understand this concept until later when she was diagnosed with asperger's. Then I felt terrible for all the times she'd been punished for not using the potty. She seldom had accidents at school, but I gave each teacher a change of clothes for her at the beginning of the year just in case. I found that the reason there were few accidents at school was because of their scheduled bathroom breaks. The teacher would have certain times during the day that they would have the whole class use the restroom. Any student that said they didn't have to go was still asked to go in and try. This was why she was staying dry. Once she went in to try, she would end up going. I tried implementing this theory at home, having her "try" whenever I went. It helped a lot also. Eventually we learned the signs of when she was about to have an accident. She would become very still (often she would squat down on the floor) and get a look of extreme concentration on her face. At first I would have to pick her up and run her to the bathroom, but eventually all I had to do was look at her and say "go" and she would get there on her own. It took a lot of time and patience, but now at 12 yrs old the biggest problem I have is getting her to come out of the bathroom! I think the biggest key in her potty training was getting it to be a part of her routine, which as we moms know is no small feat when it comes to our kids who so rigidly thrive on routine. Remember that the potty is a huge change in their life, and we know how hard it is for them to accept change. Make it as comfortable as possible for them, and don't give up! Best of luck to all of you!

Tina - posted on 10/06/2009

My son is like that. He will stay dry all day at school but at home he will wet his pants and no 2 are the worse. So, I tried to set him up on a time schedule with constant reminding him that he has to go potty. If I stay persistant it works but if I forget to remind him than he has an accident. It is just getting them into a routine of going at home.

Elisabete - posted on 10/05/2009

i had that same problem with my son he was toilet trained at school but until he was 8 he refused to go to the loo at home and he was in dip[ers at home even my daughter was the same till last year.the way i got it working was

i painted the toilet really bright like its under the sea to make it extra friendly .

and i gave him things to focus in the toilet and put protection in the matterss so they would not pee in the bed ,have a timer to wake them during the night so they dnt forget to go to the toilet ,with mine i actually had to take them to the loo myself adn stand withe them or near them so they could pee or do what they had to do.after about 6 mths of hard work both my kids with autism were toilet trained and now so is my 4 year old cause he watched the others

JACQUELINE - posted on 10/05/2009

well iam in the same boat my son is 10year old and he does it at school fine but refuses at home. one thing i have been trying is get yourself a timer and set it every 30mins and make her sit for at least 5mins by the TV with a potty DVD and sing the songs with her it help

Cathy - posted on 10/05/2009

I used M & M's. My daughter loves them so if she went pee pee in the potty, she got 3 m & m's and 4 if she did poop. It took about 3 days to train her. She was almost four years old when she was fully trained. I also took her to the store and let her pick out some cute panties. She was sooo into Care Bears at the time and she seemed to understand that she could only wear them if she went pee pee in the potty. I guess you could call it a downside..she refused to wear Pull ups because she wanted the Care Bear panties. Good luck! The good thing is with autistic kids, once they get something down, they stick to it. If you can get her to go at home several times in a row and reward her, that might do it.

Julianna - posted on 10/05/2009

I have 2 autistic boys. My 3 yr old just started school, and he is very good w/the potty at school. He still has accidents at home. I've started to talk to him as a teacher would, and he is improving at home.

Catrina - posted on 10/05/2009

i wish i could help u in some way but potty training is a tough task all round. my son just turned 4 he is dry most of the day and will have accidents (which is expected) and at night time he is still in pull ups. every day is a challenge. just take one step at a time encourage her but dont overdo it too much & lots of praise when she does go xx

Kelly - posted on 10/05/2009

From what I understand (I am about to potty train my 4 year old son with help) the environment is really important to children with this disorder. Do everything you can to mimic the bathroom at school. Get a velcro scheduler to post to the wall, so she knows when she will have to go as a part of the morning and afternoon routines. Have a "bathroom toy" that she can only play with if sitting on the potty. Also, check and see if there are any groups in your area that can help. Here in Nashville, Vanderbilt University has a center that gives seminars on everything from Potty training to Therapies as it specifically relates to children with autism. Hopefully, you will be able to find some help as well. Good luck :)

Alicia - posted on 10/05/2009

Take a look at the bathroom at school and if there is anything you can do to mimic it at home try it. It could just be the toilet seat isn't the same or the toilet paper etc. That may be why she will at school but wont at home.

Judi - posted on 10/04/2009

Something so her feet touch the floor, the toilets at teh school are probably lower. Stay strong about a nappy/diaper at home? visual guide in the toilet www.do2learn.com has got one.

Shasta - posted on 10/04/2009

I wish I could help with ideas. My 7 year old is still working on it. The only thing I can tell you is that my son has done better at home after I did a few things. I got a new toilet seat that is cushioned. He had an issue with sitting on the hard seat. I also put a box beside the toilet with some books and crayons in it. On the wall beside the toilet I hang a large sheet of craft paper that covers all the wall within his reach. This helps to keep him occupied and willing to sit on the toilet a little longer. I hope some of this helps. :)