AUTISM POTTY TRAINING

POTTY TRAINING TIPS & HACKS

WWW.DEALWITHAUTISM.COM

DEALWITHAUTISM.COM

Potty Training Hacks and Tips for Parents

T IPS & H ACKS C OVERED IN THIS S ECTION 1. Going for the Direct Approach 2. Game it! 3. Public Restrooms 4. Bribery - a boon or bane? 5. Not giving up on patience 6. The Naked Truth 7. Conclusion

TIPS & HACKS

Potty Training Hacks & Tips that Parents with Autism may find extremely handy

In this guide, some tips are given directly by the experts and experienced mothers for an easy and hassle free training. You are aware of these tips already but often neglect them during the potty training. Always keep them on your fingertips and the training will go smoothly.

Go for the Direct Approach Many parents observe that while their kids are ready for the training they still fail at it all the time. They are of the perfect age, are properly developed and can understand other instructions quite well but just cannot seem to get a hang of potty training. In such a scenario, it is better to try a direct approach. Select a day and make them wear big underwear for the whole day.

They will sully their underwear again and again, sometimes even four to five times in an hour. Change the underwear and every time you do so, tell them they need to use the potty chair to save themselves from all the mess. Do not scold them. Just make them wear a new underwear as many times as it is required but be sure to prompt them every time you have to change their underwear. Eventually they will realize that they need to use the potty chair. Many mothers have sworn by this method. It all depends on the frequency Remember that the more you expose your child to the potty session, the more they will learn about it. Even if your child is not ready to use the chair, make them just sit on it twice every hour. Play music to support your endeavor. Keep changing the music every time so that the routine does not become monotonous for the child. If they go to a day care facility, tell the instructors to let them see other children using the toilet. The more they see people using the chair, the more they will be curious to use it. Even watching the action of sitting on the potty chair can make an impact on them.

2

Game it! Children tend to take things very lightly. Their attention span is very short and they get easily bored and distracted. If the potty training is like academic curricula, they will never take it seriously. Instead make it as fun as possible. Participate in the training rather than just commanding your child to follow the instructions. There are plenty of games that can be forged up around training. For example: On a weekend, cover all the cushions, beds and other important areas in your home with plastic covers. Wear loose t-shirts and big underwear and dress the child in the same manner. Play a game where there is a competition for using the toilet as many times as possible. To attract the child, play the game among yourselves and don’t include the child in it right from the start. After a while they will start observing your actions and will develop the interest to participate in the game. It is a known fact that new things always appear attractive to children, so make it as new and fun for the child as possible. Make rules for the game, have rewards for the winners and try to include a lot of people in it so that the child feels that they are actually a part of some game.

Keep an eye on the target Targeting the pee correctly inside the chair can prove troublesome for many boys. Even if they learn to use the potty chair to pee, they might not target it correctly hence still creating a mess. So it is really important to teach them to aim correctly to avoid any future mishaps. You can teach them to aim with the help of a target game. Put four to five small rings in the potty like cheerios rings. Tell them to urinate inside the rings. If they manage to do so reward them with a toy or a treat. If the practice is presented as a rewarding challenge, the child will focus more on it and try their best to succeed.

Public Restrooms The child can be potty trained but the big toilet seats in public restrooms still might intimidate them. It is always advised to parents to carry a portable potty chair or detachable potty seat if they are on a trip with their under training child. Sometimes children get scared by the automatic flusher installed in the public restrooms. To avoid this problem, stick a post-it note on the sensor and the auto flushing will be prevented.

3

When your child is done with their job, remove the note and the flush will be activated again.

Bribery – a boon or bane There are instances where nothing works except bribing the child to participate in the training.

For example: “If you don’t poop, the night fairy will not talk to you.” A little bit of lie here and there is fine as long as they are ready for the training. When they ultimately become accustomed to using the toilet, they will not require the made up stories. But make sure not to scare them.

At initial level, bribing is actually good and can simplify a lot of problems. It is an effective way of getting the child trained without any tantrums or outbursts.

Forging stories like “you will die or you will be kidnapped if you do not use the chair” can potentially scare them more than help them. Such made up stories can remain in their mind for a long time and make them coward in future.

But as the training progresses, reduce the bribery tactics. Replace them with cheering and applauds.

Gradual steps

If bribery is continued for a long time, the children might become stubborn in future. Many parents have reported that their children got accustomed to bribery because of potty training.

Take the potty training as slow as doable. Place the small potty chair in the bedroom or wherever the child is comfortable and then slowly start shifting it towards the bigger potty chair.

They refused to do their homework, visit doctor or even attend classes at later stage until and unless not bribed. We want a better future for our kids, not spoil them. A lie can save the day Like bribery, lying is also one of the not so good but definitely effective methods to potty train the children. You can make up a story to inspire your kids to use the toilet.

4

Take small steps so that the change does not seem too drastic to the child. Sooner or later they will get comfortable with the toilet too.

It may take a long time for results to come but they will not disappoint you. There are cases where parents had to wait a lot to solve pooping issues of their children.

Don’t Give up on Patience

Peeing is comparatively easy. But during pooping you might have to wait for half an hour or so before the child starts to feel pressure.

Patience is a virtue and it definitely holds true in this case.

In the meantime, read them a storybook or play their favorite music. The faster you lose your cool, the more stubborn the child will behave. Their actions are a reflection of your action, so behave properly in front of them. Scolding too much or getting angry will only appear abusive to them and it can harm them emotionally.

The Naked Truth Children will be more inclined to use the chair if they are naked so make them stay naked at home whenever likely. Start with zero bottom coverage and work slowly up to the full clothing. Many parents let their children stay naked for long durations at home and report fewer accidents than others. If they wear cloth diapers or under pants they will not realize the importance of using the potty-chair and will soil their clothes. Start from ten-minute interval visits to toilet and work it up to bigger intervals. Do not expect results overnight. Think according to a two-year-old child and act accordingly. 5

Without any protection they will be compelled to use the toilet. Make them wear full clothes only when they have mastered potty training.

These failures are minute failures but over the time they will result into a larger success. So remain persistent and don’t give up no matter how frustrated you feel.

Conclusion While potty training might seem like a difficult task at first, with patience and proper guidance, it can be done very well. In the long run, your children will really like you for teaching them this small but important task. I recommend all the guardians to never be harsh on their kids while potty training them as they can retract further in their shell which can also hamper their future growth. Our goal here is to make kids independent in controlling their bodily functions. Parents who are training special needs children deserve a special mention here. Do not get de-motivated at all by watching the performance of other children. Jealousy is often induced in parents when they see their kids lagging behind and it can get converted into disappointment and aggravation. Remember that your child is a special one and while they might be facing problems with the training, they are brave enough for trying it. You have to support them no matter what and not give up at the time of failures.

6