Are you ready to end the late-night runs to Target to grab a box of diapers because you are on your last one? Tired of spending $50 on a large box of diapers? Is your child starting to show signs he is holding his voids longer or waking up dry? Perhaps it is time to think about toilet training your little one!
Toilet training a child with autism may seem like a daunting task for many parents. Rest assured, with a few helpful tips and setting aside adequate time to focus on teaching your little one to use the potty, you can do it and the task can be achieved!
First, let’s review some signs and skills that indicate your child may be ready for potty training:
- He/She can pull up his/her pants and pull them down.
- He/She presents with some basic imitation skills.
- He/She can sit on the potty without resistance.
- He/She wakes up dry (ideal, but not necessary)
- He/She goes to a certain area (a corner, room etc.) to void in a diaper.
- He/She complains when the diaper is soiled/shows signs of wanting to be changed.
- He/She brings you a diaper when needing to be changed.
Next, let’s discuss preparation for potty training:
- Start paring the potty with reinforcement. Before you go into intensive potty training, make the potty/training area a positive place for your child. Reinforce and praise him for coming to the potty and sitting on it (even with clothes on). You can let your child read a favorite book on the potty, watch a preferred video or even earn a treat for sitting on the potty. Make the potty a place he/she wants to come to and a part of their routine.
- Before officially potty-training use language to describe wet and soiled diapers. Make sure to use a neutral tone and even praise your child when he/she has gone to the bathroom. Definitely DO NOT make fun of stinky smells or poopy diapers. Going to the bathroom is normal and you do not want to make eliminating aversive in any way.
- Start taking data on when your child has a wet diaper or soiled diaper. This will help give you an idea if he/she tends to go at certain times of the day. Set aside time to focus on potty training. This should be a time when there are no major life events happening (e.g., new job, new school, etc.). You will need time to watch and pay attention to your child, so the less distractions the better. Sometimes people like to train when the weather is nicer, so if they do have an accident, they may be outside.
- Identify things that are super reinforcing to your child. This may include small edibles (M &M’s, Skittles, iPad time, certain toys, etc.). These items should be put away for some time before starting potty training (maybe a week or so). This will make those items even stronger reinforcers when presented to your child at a later time. Remember, it must be WORTH IT for your child to use the potty and altering the value of items to be delivered as a reward for successfully using the toilet will strengthen your child’s interest in using the toilet.
- Order training pants/underwear for your child. I like the training underwear that is thicker in the middle (it will help absorb some of the accident).
- Create visuals for the potty. This may help prompt the child ask for the potty.
Lastly, let’s tackle some helpful tips for getting through “The Big Day” (or week, maybe two):
- Bye diapers! On the day you decide to start, tell your child you are saying “Bye Bye” to diapers. I know this sounds scary, but once you decide to start, it is very helpful to not wear diapers at all during the day. Your child may still wear a pull up while sleeping. If you go back and forth between diapers, this can confuse your child and prolong the potty-training period. Some decide to go straight to new underwear (there are all sorts of fun ones to choose from that may even have your little one’s favorite characters). Others decide to not wear any pants at first (only in the house) to help catch their little one in the act and get them to the potty ASAP. Both methods can be effective.
- Decide on a potty sit schedule. Often, a routine of five minutes on the potty and ten minutes off the potty is a good start. After the child voids you can decide if you want to wait longer before sitting back on the potty (perhaps 30 minutes). It really helps to have a chart to track all of this. You can note the time they sat on the potty and if they had any success. It is also helpful to use language when you put them on the potty “It is time to go potty”. If your child is nonverbal you can use visuals or PECS cards to support communication. Some parents will encourage their child’s body to void by providing salty snacks to thirst which in turn can increase liquid intake and, as a result, increase opportunity for the child to need to void. and increase their overall liquid intake (water, juice, popsicles etc.). This last step is encouraged to be discussed with your child’s pediatrician before starting to ensure there are not any health concerns to consider before implementing.
- Use reinforcement: If your child successfully voids in the potty, give them the reinforcer IMMEDIATELY and praise your child. If your child is dry when you check on them, praise them and consider giving the a “mini reinforcer”. You can say “I like how you are still dry”.
- If your child pauses in their play and looks like they may go, usher them quickly to the potty. This is why it is helpful to have a potty in the room you are playing in.
- Pay attention: Children always seem to go or have an accident the minute parents look away, take a call or run a load of laundry (which there will be a lot of)! Supervision of your child during many waking minutes of the day will be critical to catching your child when ready to void and to prompt him/her to sit on the potty.
- Take a breath. THERE ARE GOING TO BE ACCIDENTS AND LITTLE MESSES. That is okay, it is all part of the fun. Do not yell or punish your child for accidents. If he/she starts to go, try to calmly get him/her to the potty ASAP and finish there or have them sit for five minutes anyway. Then they can have their 10 minutes off the potty again. You can say, as you walk them to the potty something like, “Remember pee pee goes in the potty.”
- Don’t give up! The first few days are going to be long and frustrating, but don’t give up. After a few days, you will get a better grip on your child’s schedule and there will be some successes. When your child meets a big reinforcer with that success, he/she will start to learn.
Some children take a few days to train, but do not be surprised if it takes longer for your child. Just remember to be consistent with scheduling, praise and effective reinforcement.