Hi all...this was our families (Desiree, Mominsonsworld2) experience with Potty Training! Boy style.

 

David Potty Trained at 4.  Isaiah at 4 1/2.

 

Due to their delays, I did not bother with potty training at the typical age of 3.  My guys were in ECSE and they had facilities to deal with diaper changing.  The school did have the facilities, with the small toliets, for training...but my sons had no interest.  As a busy mom with no privacy, all my kids watched mom use the facilities...I had to beg for my husband to allow the boys to watch!

 

Near 4, David took the first initiative....hiding in the bathroom when he needed to go.  They were still pretty much non-verbal....and they were taught the sign for potty.  We did not start PECS yet...but I wish we would have!

 

I got some small seal tubs and filled them with cherrios and gold fish....the other tubs I filled with reinforcers....stickers, stamps, sweets, ect.

 

I took a squirt bottle (water/yellow food coloring) and showed the boys how to sink a gold fish or cheerio.  I wish my husband would of shown them first...but he was too shy.  I do think if the real deal was shown first...they would of understood quicker.

 

It took lots of repetition.

 

I did give lots of water and put David in big boy pants of his choice.  I took him to the bathroom on a schedule first...then by his asking.  Isaiah was my watcher.

 

David got immediate reinforcement for ANYTHING in the beginning....as he became more successful...rewards varied and faded until eliminated.

 

Bowels...we took the stool out of the diaper and placed it in the toliet saying "OH! The poopie goes in there!"  and we clapped and sang as we flushed it.  We let him sit on the potty too.  It took lots of repetition and praise.

 

He became independent around a month.  We made sure he wore easy to remove clothes...so he was not frustrated.

 

Isaiah watched for a long time.  I did not give him rewards when David got his...and this was hard...but necessary.  Isaiah would get a reward if he sat on the potty.  Eventually, Isaiah started to want to do what his brother did....siblings are adventageous!  Once we went to underwear...we did not go back to diapers/pull ups.  They automatically trained themselves at night.  I always made sure they followed their nighttime routine...which included going to the bathroom.

 

Today, both boys have fine motor issues.  To keep them successful, I dress them in clothes that have an elastic waist and no buttons, snaps, or zippers.  They continued to need extra help with wiping till close to 7.  They do a good job themselves now as long as I have wet wipes available at all times.  I have to monitor and ask each time about handwashing!

 

Desiree......

 

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