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Any parents out there training a child with autism/special needs?
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Any parents out there training a child with autism/special needs?

[Replies: 4]
Last Post Jul 5, 2009 10:20 PM by: nevergoingtopottytrain
nevergoingtopottytrain
 
nevergoingtopottytrain
Posts: 9
Registered: 6/23/09

Re: Any parents out there training a child with autism/special needs?

Jul 5, 2009 10:20 PM
I actually had an initial leap forward with the potty training a couple weeks ago. I was sick to my stomach and was on the toilet and needed to barf and my daughter's potty chair was the only thing available at the given moment... and my daughter witnessed me barfing in her chair that she had NEVER used. Well, then she wanted to use it. Immediately. I didn't let her, obviously because it was a filthy mess and my husband was not at home to help me out (that was a horrid horrid afternoon). Well then she has had some interest in learning, and now we're struggling with figuring out how to get her to go. She will sit on the potty now. Both her training one and the big one with the new Dora seat on it. But she won't go in the potty unless she has her pull ups on (if there is a hole in them for example). But she has problems telling when she has to go. Tanking her up with fluids of course makes her have to go, and then you put her on the toilet. But she still hasn't realized or transferred that over to regular daily routines the need to go. Sensing the need to go. And then now she's all about making these wierd rituals with tearing off a certain number of toilet paper squares. Oh man, I am like getting ready to go INSANE. I'm trying to stay layed back about it all... I don't want to lose the progress that we've made with her actually sitting on the pot now. But, I don't want her to go nowhere either.
platanofrio
 
platanofrio
Posts: 3
Registered: 7/4/09

Re: Any parents out there training a child with autism/special needs?

Jul 4, 2009 3:47 PM
dhoosiers

I also have a 5yr old autistic grandson. I had to try different potties, boosters for the actual toilet, etc. The first is trying to find what your child is comfortable sitting on, Maybe let the child sit on the potty with their pants ON and do something fun that the two of you like doing together, start off with short periods of time and increase, then progress to sitting without pants on. Make sure you always make it a fun and positive experience, if the child starts fighting, go on to another activity and try agoin later. You can also try showing your child a reward first and explain if they stay on the chair that the reward will be theirs. Make a game of sitting on the potty have them sit down and get up and sing a silly song to see if that motives them.

Positive games, rewards and lots of praise seems to be a key for my autistic grandson.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Anna
platanofrio
 
platanofrio
Posts: 3
Registered: 7/4/09

Re: Any parents out there training a child with autism/special needs?

Jul 4, 2009 3:22 PM
Nevergoing:

I feel your frustration. I have a 5 year old Autistic grandson, and I've had many challenges! If you child responds to being told in advance what will happen, and then make a BIG DEA! when the pee actually starts comming out by saying "WOW!, look what you are doing!. Good JOB!, continue by saying see how good you are doing! have a reward ready if the child stays on the potty. Other things to try are: let child watch you go potty so that she can see that it is OK for the pee to go into the potty. Have you tried using a booster seat on the regular toilet? Sometimes the child may have sensitivities to where they go potty.

My grandson speaks some, but Autistic children have their own way of communicating, but they all respond to positive attention and approval from their family.

Good luck!
Anna
nevergoingtopottytrain
 
nevergoingtopottytrain
Posts: 9
Registered: 6/23/09

Re: Any parents out there training a child with autism/special needs?

Jun 30, 2009 9:07 PM
My daughter will be 4 in October and we have had no luck with potty training. We had some brief luck to actually get her to sit on her old potty chair after I used it as a barf bucket when I had a horrible migraine and it was the closest thing to use... well, then she used it for a couple days. Well, she sat on it, I should say she never went in it. Refused to.

Our daughter was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and has sensory issues and ritualistic behavior. She is very social now (after 2 years of therapy and developmental preschool and lots of parental involvement getting her to interact), but the sensory issues and rituatlistic behaviors are kind of peaking now... or at least I hope they are peaking because if they get worse, I don't know what I will do with the OCD like stuff. And unfortnately potty training has become some wierd thing that she has some wierd rituals for... and she still won't actually go on teh potty. She'll sit on there for a long time, but once she starts to go she FREAKS out and jumps off and then the mess all over the floor. Her pediatrician told us to hold off for a few months and start over. She was holding it in too much and holding in number 2 as well and causing herself constipation (she's now been on miralax as a stool softener partly for the holding it in and partly because of her limited diet).

Her language developmental is a bit over a year behind and she has problems talking about things that are visually in front of her. Talking about potty issues has been impossible. There is just no two way dialogue going on.

So do we just have to wait?

Oh, and then the whole eating thing has been hard too. I mean, she's still eating baby food and drinking pediasure (per doctor's orders) to get substantial vitamins and iron and minerals and all that. She does eat regular food, but it is so limited as to what she will eat and even then you have to feed it to her.

Oh, the one thing that would get our daughter to sit on the potty --- let her watch a DVD while sitting on it. Problem is, she'd start to go and freak out, and then try to get off and there'd be #1 all over the floor. And then she'd have a meltdown about not having done it in her diaper and the whole day just goes downhill from there.
dhoosierswife
 
dhoosierswife
Posts: 1
Registered: 6/30/09

Any parents out there training a child with autism/special needs?

Jun 30, 2009 6:32 PM
We're hoping to connect with other families who are trying and/or have tried potty training a child who has developmental delays, sensory aversions, autism spectrum disorders, etc. Our 4 (almost 5) year old son has PDD (pervasive developmental disorder) which is on the autism spectrum (ASD) He has major sensory & texture aversions and has only recently began feeding himself independently but he still can't chew his foods. We have to chop it up for him & mix it with either applesauce, yogurt, or veggie baby foods so he can easily swallow his foods without choking.

Anyhow, we've continually had major difficulty in getting him to stay on the potty for more than a couple of minutes...he fights us so much! So, I was wondering if anybody out there has experienced similiar situations and how did your special needs child finally 'connect the dots' in regards to accepting the task of going on the potty instead of a pull-up? At what age did your child achieve success? Thanks in advance for any advice as we're at our wits end & feel like we're doing something wrong....help please! :| Sincerely,

Concerned parents