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| The Challenge Of Potty Training
By Maureen Bennie
| | Potty training is a normal part of childhood development but a difficult task at the best of times. Having a child with numerous developmental delays and sensitivities makes the task of teaching potty training even more challenging.
Even though there are no statistics on delayed toilet training in late talkers or developmentally delayed children there certainly seems to evidence that supports the theory that children with delays tend to be late potty trainers. There are several things we can do as parents to make the process an easier one and allow the child to have success.
Even before your child is interested or capable of starting potty training, introduce him/her to the potty-chair. Leave it sitting out in the bathroom so it becomes a familiar sight. Begin by having your child sit on the potty-chair fully clothed with a book to look at. Make set times in the day to have a seat on the potty, perhaps after a meal or before bedtime as part of the getting ready for bed routine.
Autistic children tend to be very visual so offering them visual supports is important. Using picture symbols going through each step of going to the potty is helpful. Our son has a booklet that hangs on the doorknob in the bathroom that breaks down every step beginning with pulling down his pants to ending with washing and drying his hands. We also read books about going to the potty. Some great ones are Alona Frankel's Once Upon A Potty available in a boys or girls edition, On Your Potty by Virginia Miller, and I Can Go Potty by Bonnie Worth featuring the Muppet Babies. A great video that handles all aspects of toilet training including not wanting to leave an activity the child enjoys is The Bear in the Big Blue House: Potty Time with Bear. It encourages the child to be independent, not to worry about leaving diapers behind, and it's OK to have accidents.
As parents, we have to be patient with our children and not rush the potty training process. Autistic children are also battling sensory defensiveness, which impedes this process. They don't know when they need to go, when their diaper is full, or how to release their bowels and bladder when on a potty-chair. Any new sensation or routine around that sensation can be frightening to them, as they don't always understand fully what is going on.
Peer support at New Heights, the preschool our son attends, has been motivating because he wants to follow what the other boys are doing. Perhaps an older sibling can mentor at home. Our own children seem to be most resistant to us as their parents in giving them direction. Using a chart at home can also be a motivator when your child has had success on the potty. The child can place a sticker of a character he likes such as Blues Clues or even numbers counting the number of successes he/she has had.
There is an agency in Calgary, Alberta called Aids to Daily Living, which subsidizes diaper costs for children three and over who are not toilet trained yet. The agency pays 75% of the cost and you pay 25% up to $500. If your yearly bill exceeds $500, the cost of diapers is free. They will not cover children who use diapers just for nighttime. Both diapers and pull-ups are funded. You can chose which store you would like to set up an account at. You fill out the paperwork at their office, which is located at 320 - 17th. Ave. SW (tel.) 228-7470. I found this agency to be friendly, supportive, and helpful. You may be able to find such an agency in your own town or city that will support the extended costs of having a child who is a late toilet trainer due to a disability.
A great deal of encouragement and praise goes a long with children so give a round of applause and a hug for any attempt made. Each child has their own personal clock and like all of their other skills that they develop, potty training will come in time too. | |
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