Toilet Training Your Autistic Child

Potty training your child can be daunting. As we know, all children are different and thus, when it comes to potty training they will also have distinct differences in comparison to typical children. But have no fear, as you may not need to take the same approach as most parents would typically take in making sure their child is ready for this journey. As you are aware, children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may need a lot more time than other children when it comes down to mastering every day skills.  As a result, potty training your autistic child can be a different ball game altogether due to how unique these kids are - which means modifications will almost certainly be required from what an average parent might do.

Several factors can affect a child's ability to become toilet trained including the senses in which the child receives too much input, the inability to use motor skills effectively, whether or not they are cognitively able to understand what is expected of them, and even a lack of being able to communicate (verbally or nonverbally) one's needs. It is important that before deciding whether a child is ready for toilet training, these things are taken into consideration.

Toilet training can get challenging — finding the right balance between patience and persistence can be overwhelming, even for the most determined parent. Remember that it’s not just your child who is learning something new here — you are learning it as well. Toilet training does involve more than just knowing how to use the toilet. Sensory issues play an important role in this process for some children. Some kids might have motor skills deficits, while others may just not be cognitively ready to handle toileting independently at this point in time. Another consideration though — it could also be that your child doesn’t recognize the urge to go, which usually leads to accidents.

Successfully toilet training children with spectrum disorders requires a lot of planning and thoughtfulness. It can also be helpful to have pre-arranged procedures in place, in case anything should happen suddenly or unexpectedly. One way to make the experience easier on both parent and child is by dividing the process into smaller phases. Stage one, the planning phase, involves deciding how to accommodate your child. Stage two, an essential part of turning the program into practice, includes the setup stage where you get everything ready for your child's training period.

The best preparation for toilet training is to ensure your little one has all of the proper resources they need. Here's a list of some of the top 8 items you'll want to be sure are present before attempting toilet training!

• Potty chair
• Stepping stool
• Baby wipes
• Mattress protector
• Training pants
• Faucet extender
• Progress chart
• Wet/Dry bag

Once the ideas from the Planning Phase are collected, it is time for Phase 2 - the Setting Up Phase. Pick one bathroom in the house that the child feels most comfortable using and designate it as their Training Bathroom .

The Implementation Phase is the third phase in the potty training process. Successful potty training takes structure and consistency (some more than others), as well as patience! The more consistent one is with children with autism, the more success they will have in achieving this milestone. To begin with, set a date when the potty training process will begin by thinking ahead to make sure everything is ready and any necessary preparation is underway.

Children with an intellectual disability or developmental delay are best toilet-trained by setting them up for success. Reading books about how the body works, practicing sitting on a potty and rewarding simple accomplishments will help your child learn to use the bathroom independently. In order for children to be motivated, separate rewards should not be given for using the potty and washing their hands, but rather one overall reward should be given when successful (for example: “For using the potty you earned a star on our chart” or “You were able to stay dry all day so I will take you out for dinner tonight!”).

Toilet training can be a lengthy process and may require a lot of patience, but the payoff will be huge! Make sure to consult with your behaviorists throughout the way because each child is unique and has different needs.