potty training toddler w/ communication delays b4 new baby arrives!

Carrie - posted on 06/21/2010

Sorry, agree with most posters on here, 18 months is a little young, though I have known people who have been able to potty train by 2 years of age, girls only. They usually use underwear only during the day and diapers at night. As for my children, my 5 year old special needs child just got day time trained a few months ago, he just flat out didn't care if he was wet or not. My 3 1/2 year old who has a speech delay and ADHD and nothing else is finally potty training and almost day trained. I wish I didn't have two in diapers for the last 3 1/2 years, but you get over it. Things happen when they are meant to happen. My children are 20 months apart.

Julie - posted on 06/17/2010

Don't worry yet, at 18 months she may be a little young to push her. Every child will potty train when they are ready and speak too. Try not to speak for her, I know this will probably sound stupid, but how many times has she pointed at something to get it instead of asking. Has she had hearing tests to check that this is okay? it may be that she has a problem here. My youngest did not speak until she was about 2 because her brothers and sister would fill in the blanks when she pointed!
Ask the health visitor first before making any decisions, ask for a referral to an ENT (ear nose and throat) clinic and ask for her hearing to be checked. Remember that a new baby in the house may upset her a little, but also may make her come on leaps and bounds, to become a "big" sister, and help you out even if its only fetching a nappy/diaper when one is needed. Talk to her as much as possible too to encourage speech ♥
Good luck with both of your little ones, I know how it feels to have children close together.
x ♥ x

Sandie - posted on 06/16/2010

I agree with another posting - you need to relax and take things one day at a time. Have your child evaluated for delays and special needs. She may be just delayed. I have a special needs child who needs are minor but she was 5 before we could get her potty trained. When she was ready, it went very quickly and easily. We switched over to Pullups but they are just expensive diapers that don't hold much. Until she is ready to pull her own pants up and down, stay away from Pullups. My advice here is to be patient. It could be too early for her.

Please don't potty train as a convenience for yourself, wait until the child is ready.

Julie - posted on 06/09/2010

If you believe you child is special needs, and it sounds as if she may be, potty training does not need to be an issue right now. The issue needs to be to get her to a doctor to be evaluated so that she can reach her full potential, whatever that may be. I would reccomend a developmental screening and follow ups to determine the best way to work with her in every aspect of life, not just potty training...speech therapy may be a great place to start. I wish you luck!

Zoe - posted on 06/09/2010

Also I started in august a when he first signed toilet and he took about 4months, so yes it was not just an overnight thing, hope you don;t stress too much and have success

Zoe - posted on 06/09/2010

You have to be very persistant and on a constant routine with what time you take your child, my child was i think 2yo and a bit when i started training him and he was non verbal and was very limited in signing makaton, but i took him as soon as he woke up, after b'fat, before morning tea, after morning tea, b4 lunch and after, b4 nap time and as soon as he woke up, b4 morning tea and after, b4 dinner and after, and b4 he went to bed. this way he got used to the routine and what he was there for, and alot of loud enthusiastic praise was also given with encouraging words and clapping of hands. It was very time consuming as I had another child also who was just born and I was and still am a single parent, but with persistance it worked and he was toilet trained b4 he turned 3 and he has down syndrome, very proud mummy :-)

Stacia - posted on 06/09/2010

get her into pull ups. try to cool allerts we work with my daughter on those and we also have these old fashion type pants we baught for a buck n a quarter a piece they have the plastic on the outside and the cloth on the inside... they are great. my daughter is delayed cuz she is missing one of her hands and she refuses to voice herself unless she is a bossy miss... so we try to put her on the potty as often as possible and while she is there we sing or read a story... go to the pull up.com site and get their potty training video... good luck!

Stina - posted on 06/07/2010

I had my second baby when my son with a speech delay, minor cognitive delay and some issues with his core strength was 25 months.

I wanted him potty trained but he just wasn't ready. We waited till he was 2 1/2 before our first attempt to toilet train. That way we didn't have the possibility of a regression once the baby arrived. It seems like a lot of extra work to have two in diapers, but if you kind of line 'em up and change them one after the other, it isn't too bad.

Our attempt at toilet training him at 2 1/2 didn't go well at all. We waited and tried again at 3... and Finally at 3 1/2 we got him toilet trained.

I found the techniques in "potty training in one day" helpful but obviously it didn't happen in one day.

Basically, you have your child teach a doll how to use the toilet. Then you give your child dressed in cotton undies plenty of opportunity to practice and set the timer every 15 minutes for your child to sit on the toilet.

Praise praise praise at every success.

Honestly, I would wait. 1 1/2 is early to toilet train ANY child unless they are showing some signs of readiness. Give her at least a year, read up on several toilet training techniques and pick and choose what you think will work for your child.

Shelly - posted on 06/07/2010

Well, I have to agree with everyone here :) We had the same issue with my oldest while I was pregnant with my second and it really was easier to just NOT do the potty thing. It actually made our days even harder. We decided to wait and you could still use the changing table and just take her into the nursery. If she really is special needs, it may be to much for her to handle all at once, along with the new baby. Just relax and enjoy the new baby as a family and don't stress about that right now. My oldest has autism and ADHD and I would have LOVED to just have one in diapers, but he deals with so much everyday, we decided not to add anything new at that time. Good Luck :)

Betty - posted on 06/07/2010

sorry beth but i agree rushing potty training at any age is just a bad idea i had 3 in diapers when i had my twins and my older was 3 its really not that hard to change an extra matter of fact i could change all three of mine in under 2 min my now 4 year old is trained during the day but wears pull pus at night but it went easier i believe because i waited

Iridescent - posted on 06/05/2010

I second Susan. We change our children on the floor, actually, and used to on a dresser (short with a large top). It's not necessary to have a changing table for one or both of your children at all. But every one of my special needs children has taken a lot longer to toilet train, and an 18 month old typical child is still likely to have difficulty with being rushed through toilet training plus the birth of a new sibling. They very often regress regardless at 2 years when a new sibling is introduced.

Susan - posted on 06/05/2010

I'd relax and find another changing table. If your daughter really is special needs (and if her only issue is not speaking, she very well may not be), rushing toilet training, a big change in a child's life, when a new baby is coming into the house, a huge change in a child's life, may be a bad idea. My special needs daughter was daytime trained about 3 1/2 and nighttime trained at 8. My typical son was trained for day about 3 and night about 4, but we started about 2 1/2 and he just refused.