Toilet Training - How To Teach This Important Self Help Skill?
· By 1 ½ years can indicate when wet.
· By 2 ½ years can pull pants and sit on seat by themselves.
· 50% are dry in the night by 2 years and by 90% by 5 years.
· Bowel control ( stools )- control happens before bladder control.
· 1 ½-2 years, based on your child’s readiness.
· The child should have the ability to remove pants, understand words (pee and poop), interested to learn and copy and dry for at least two hours.
· Get rid of diapers.
· Get trainer seats or comfortable potty seats to start.
· Back and feet should be supported so that they don’t feel they are going to fall off , you will make it a pleasant experience
· Don’t ask, tell them.
· Take them to the washroom, once in 2-3 hours (based on how often your child goes), assist them to remove clothes and wash.
· Bowel activity occurs usually when the child is relaxed, post feed.
· That’s the best time to train them.
· Gradually over 2-4weeks, they will learn to initiate themselves .
· Hard stools , passed less than 3 times a week, stools soiling inner ware, dribbling of urine .
· Not settling with above simple measures.
· Especially children with developmental concerns may need individualised strategies .
· Sensory issues will have to be addressed.
Children With Developmental Delay, autism have limited diet and water intake, Sensory issues (scared of sitting , smell and wetness , sound of flush) which can interfere with training.
· It’s never too late to teach (even if they don’t have readiness skills).
· Any behaviour can be unlearned with proper guidance.
· Get ready, be calm – accidents are bound to happen. Family should be committed to teach.
· Be alert to changes in expression, body movements (crossing legs, touching genitals, passing gas, going to one corner.) they do before passing urine or motions. When you see that, don’t ask, just take them.
In addition to above measures :
· Use a log to know how long your child can stay dry , also to guide you to take them how often to take them during training (becomes more individualised).
· Use pictures in sequence to guide them.
· Use signs, gestures to signal.
· Use your hands on their hands if needed to guide.
· Reinforce the behaviour when they void. Immediately use these Rewards ( toy, bits of snack, songs, activity including screen time) only for this.
· Slowly after 2 weeks or so, once they are used to this they might initiate themselves.
· Continue to assist as needed, slowly reduce the reinforcement.
· Use stories to techie them the expected behaviour. Pre teaching them before the expected behaviour.
Autism speaks – toilet training : has a visual schedules ( pictures ), story to teach, toilet training log.
Autism speaks- constipation : Has tips on how to deal with contipatin.
Do2Learn : Has a lot of picture schedules.
Check out this great video. It is the first part of several videos on this topic. Do visit autism community training website for further. They have lot of free resources.
