Toilet training children in general can be a tough experience, but it is an important part of helping them learn about their body and developing skills necessary for life. It is also often needed to start school; many pre-schools won’t accept children who are not toilet trained so getting them into a potty training routine is important.
For an autistic child or a child with other developmental disabilities, toilet training can be particularly difficult because of how they may perceive or react to the different sensations related to going to the toilet.
Below, we’ve written an informative post listing a number of tips for potty training your child with autism spectrum disorder – keep reading to learn more.
1. Does your child have the necessary pre-requisite skills?
There is no magic age or perfect time to begin the potty training process for your child. Children generally show readiness between the ages of two and four, but sometimes a child isn’t ready to start potty training. If that’s the case, you should begin teaching pre-requisite skills. Common signs that your child is ready to be potty trained include being able to pull up and down their pants, hiding to poo, and showing discomfort when wet.
2. Get your child into underwear and practice sitting on the toilet
Children in general should be switched to underwear at the time of toilet training. For autistic children, this is even more important because the shift from nappies to underwear may create different sensations for your child.
Make sure that you allow your child to become comfortable wearing underwear prior to starting toilet training. You can help your child pick out underwear that is fun and interesting to them. Ensure your child is comfortable sitting on the toilet before beginning, as this is likely a new experience for them.
3. Set aside time for you and your child to be at home together
The toilet training process can generally take about a week, and even longer, even if a parent and child are home together every day to do the training. This is important so you can monitor your child and when there is the urge to go potty or initial signs of wetness, you can run your child right to the bathroom so he or she understands that’s where they are supposed to go. Scheduled toilet-sits are important so that you give your child the opportunity to void on the toilet, rather than always waiting for initial signs of needing to pee or poo.
4. Make toilet training fun and rewarding
You can have your child pick out a fun toilet seat with cartoons or other characters. Make going into the bathroom a party; sing, dance, have balloons in the bathroom, celebrate being in the bathroom with your child. Make peeing or pooing rewarding for the child, perhaps with a sweet or biscuit after they have peed or pooed.
5. Take peeing and pooing one step at a time
Usually a child pees first and then gets comfortable pooing in a toilet. Show your child the places where they had the accident and then take them to sit on the potty as well as do the toilet routine.
Do this even if they have already gone to the scene of the accident. In some cases, repeating this process more than one time can be beneficial. The point is to demonstrate to your child that it is more work to be taken to the potty twice than to go to the toilet initially.
6. Help your child not to be afraid
In addition, take your child with autism to the bathroom and have them sit on the toilet or play around it, with the lid open or closed, with their clothes on. This is just to let them get comfortable around the toilet.
7. Use substitutions for verbal instructions during toilet training
Finally, you can use communication devices such as picture cards ( picture exchange communication system ), bells or other tools to communicate with your child non-verbally that they need to go to the bathroom.
If your child fears the flushing sound of the toilet or washing their hands after potty, avoid those triggers as part of the training. Don’t flush the toilet until after the child leaves the room. Don’t wash their hands in the sink, you can use hand wipes instead.
Potty training children with autism or similar condition can be a little more challenging, but with time and patience you likely will be able to do it, and your child will learn the skills. Working with a professional may be needed in some cases, but when possible, parents should take the lead to help their child learn this important life skill leading to successful potty training.
Searching for an ABA consultant in London?
Looking for an ABA therapist to assist you with the autism potty training process or something else? First Bridge Centre is the ideal company to choose. We provide leading ABA services for children with autism and developmental delays in London. ABA, which stands for Applied Behaviour Analysis, can be provided to children who need help transitioning to school-based learning between five and nine years old.
If you’d like to find out more, then please do not hesitate to contact us today. You can reach us by phone on +44 (0) 20 3301 3985 to speak with a member of our team.