Toileting Matters

by Marie
(Saskatchewan)

Major concern regarding a elementary school age child who uses the toilet appropriately for voiding, yet will not use the toilet for bowel movements. She has her BM's in her pants after going to a private space in her home.




What are possible sensory-based/behavioral-based indicators? What strategies may be helpful to support her progress in using the toilet for bowel movements. Thank you.



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by: Anonymous

Hello,
I have a 10 yr old autistic boy.

He was trained by Dad to pee standing up...at 3 1/2 or 4 i can't remember. Bm started later. My son would only bm in pull up and hide anywhere in the house. I slowly worked on it, at first I got him to stay in the bathroom only to do Bm while I was standing outside the door to make sure he doesn't come out...not forcing him to go on the toilet yet though. I was not allowed at all in the bathroom. I was told by other "autism moms" to get rid of the pull ups and yet I couldn't fully get rid of them because he'd only BM in them and constipation was an issue so I had a stash in a locked suitcase that i only knew was there. He never wore a pull up any other time not even to bed...

Because when I had them on a shelf my son would climb to put one on and he was in control..thats why i put them in a suitcase... he would not sit on the toilet (too afraid of the sound or probably afraid he was going to go down the toilet...too much of a concrete thinker...) I also did everything from put a hole in the pull up, rip the pull up and tape it on the toilet seat to get him to get over his fear of sitting down on the toilet.

I would use motivators, edibles or anything highly motivating first sit on toilet then goldfish, candy. I want to say this took a year. then in june while away at my moms in florida. she gave me the idea that as soon as he starts to grunt go in the bathroom and sit him down on the toilet to bm. It worked and it wasn't even his own home... We gave sooo much praise after that event...and boy did he love it! We were happy and singing and rewarded him with edibles... ohh and I had him watch the potty video and read potty books too but that was before his toileting milestone.... Despite this event i had to work on his anxiety for at least a month more then mid summer he was good...

Medical assistance paid for my son's diapers and they were Goodnights the kind for kids who are bedwetters.. Do you have that where you all live? Good luck! I remember it being a long process but once you find what is right for your kiddo and things start to click then you will see the light.

Good Luck!
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by: Anonymous

It's hard to teach this because they think that they are losing a piece of them selves. A teacher told me this, who taught potty training. so to help them be more comfortable. bring books to the restroom, sit in there w/ them. Get them use to just sitting first. Feed the child foods w/ fiber to help soften, the stool so much that it's easier for them to go w/ little effort. you can get books and videos from your local library on potty training for them to view. Also i order from pampers.com the potty training kit it comes w/stickers,a chart, and a big reward. it helped us after showed my child the video from the library. reward the child for trying, then do and another reward when they do the task. just have fun. The best was is no pressure. another thing we added was the potty training elmo. so in between times my child could play w/ elmo to help master this skill. elmo had theses cute phrases that helped my child learn.

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