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Original poster

ASD and toileting

18 replies

catherinea1971 · 22/02/2012 11:17

Hi all, can't believe it but my ds (4.10) decided last night that he was going to wee on the toilet, I had thought it would never happen and certainly not like that!
He has done it again this morning, will only stand up though, not sure what is going to happen when he needs to move his bowels.....
But for now I am a very proud mummy and my beautiful son has gone off to school in his green Thomas underpants.
I have never used any pressure on him to toilet (he has had bad bowel problems holding etc).
Just thought I would share, not as a boast but for others who are concerned that their little one is never going to toilet train.

OP posts:
Catsdontcare · 22/02/2012 11:19

That's a great step forward! I was always worried about how ds would cope with poos as he has very loose ones! But tbh it has never been a problem.

WandaDoff · 22/02/2012 11:20

Fantastic, well done that boy Grin

Very encouraging too in regards to DD who has ASD & is nowhere near training yet. Thankyou.

Original poster
catherinea1971 · 22/02/2012 11:33

Thanks for the replies.

He has been under the continence nurse for about a year, she just said wait and see and try and get his constipation under control. He has known when he wants a wee for ages but would not even go into the bathroom if you mentioned the toilet to him, was totally determined that he needed to wee in his nappy then out of the blue he just decides from nowhere that he wants to go to the toilet...I am still gobsmacked. Not sure what he is going to do during the night tonight though. And really unsure about him with his bowels as he is on movicol and I have yet to manage to get his dosing right so it could get messy....
But for now I am just enjoying the fact that he has done it!

OP posts:
Original poster
catherinea1971 · 22/02/2012 11:53

WandaDoff, had you asked me yesterday I would have said he was nowhere near ready to train either!!

Funnily enough one of the fab TA's in his class said she thought he would be one of the children she has taught that will just do it without any training or encouragement, she says she has seen many who just decide one day that it is time!! :)

OP posts:
SallyBear · 22/02/2012 12:42

Fabulous news. DS3 wears pullups but will wee in the loo. The poo thing......!!! It's a work in progress. Wink

Original poster
catherinea1971 · 22/02/2012 14:01

SallyBear, he will not entertain pullups for some reason, I think it could be because they don't feel 'tight' around his waist like a nappy does....
Will just have to see how it goes, clean up any accidents that happen! :)

OP posts:
chuckeyegg · 22/02/2012 16:54

Well done to your DS, it's so exciting to have such progress. DS has been toilet trained for about 7 months he's 5 now and his constipation seems to have got less since he trained, hope this happens for your DS too. :)

SallyBear · 22/02/2012 17:50

Catherine we put pants on over the pull ups. It seems to work!

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 22/02/2012 18:03

Well done! DS2, 12 with ASD, still a bit dodgy on the poo front!

SallyBear · 22/02/2012 18:13

When I think back on it DS3 has always been dreadful on the poo front. When he was only weeks old, I would wait up to 5 days for a delivery. Now he's regular but he has no concept of having done one. Sigh....

Original poster
catherinea1971 · 23/02/2012 02:16

Thanks for the replies.
Well he had an accident in school and another at home but he was just too engrossed in what he was doing, which is going to be a problem as nothing hits his radar when engrossed!
He was happy to have a nappy for bed so if he needs his bowels opened that will be less messy!
To be fair, I don't mind the accidents in the least, just the fact that he has got over his aversion to the idea of using the toilet is so huge!

Now just to get him and his sister to start sleeping......:)

OP posts:
sophj100 · 23/02/2012 21:49

Hi, I'm new to Mumsnet but wanted to share. My 5 year old has ASD, just started at Primary School and won't get into the issues there but the toileting - particularly pooh, is still very much an issue. He is potty / loo trained for the wee side but the poohing is a constant battle. I refuse to put him back into nappies, except at night, because he will revert back to weeing in them. I buy 'cheap' cotton pants (with boxers, he used to shake the pooh out and down his leg....nice!), and use these pant liners called 'Dry Like Me', which just add as a 'buffer' for any pooh and if it's bad, or not caught in time, I throw the pants away just like a nappy. If mild, I wash them, of course. Seems extravagant but I'm picking my battles. If asked if he needs a pooh, the answer is always 'no' or 'there's no pooh left'. It's more about potty timing, when I see the signs and take him to the loo, sit him down and promise a treat if he does a pooh on the loo. It's a bonus if he sits there. For a long time, and still occasionally now, he will refuse to sit, straightens his legs so he can't sit and scream. For a week, I just picked him up when I could smell something or spot him withdrawing on his own, see that look of concentration and slightly pinking face, take him upstairs and he would sit (asking me to turn the light on and close the door - 'don't watch me mummy'). He would then shout 'I did it mummy', we cheer, wave goodbye to it and then get the chocolate buttons, which he has earned. FYI - it doesn't always work. Not sure if this is of help and sorry if rambling!

richmond44 · 24/02/2012 14:38

Great news catherinea1971, and thanks for the tip about the liners sophj100. My DS (4 next week) with ASD and non verbal has been going to nursary in pants this week. The lovely continence nurse visited his school and thought that yes he should try potty training so away we went! Do not see how it can happen when he does not say he wants a wee/poo and has to be put on the potty/toilet and have his trousers pulled down, but am game to give it a go. Were given a few pairs of washable protection pants which I like and have ordered some more from the pshealthcare site.

Yesterday 17 carry packs of pampers turned up from the nhs. No idea what they were for so rang the number on the delivery form and asked them to take them back! It must be a mistake. Do you get free nappies on the nhs? Anyway they are the wrong size and I would like to stick with these washable pants - can you get them free on the nhs? Sorry for the questions but you never seem to be told what you are entitled to I find.

thanks
Richmond

SallyBear · 24/02/2012 14:43

Yes you get free pampers on the NHS if they are over 4, so it must have been the nurse who ordered them for you. Your dc should have been fitted for them at least!! They may not take them back. My PCT used to be funny about supplies being returned due to hygiene. Sigh.....

richmond44 · 24/02/2012 16:34

Thanks for that Sallybear (love the name). Just had an email from the continence nurse and she thinks its a mistake(!) and will arrange for all 274 of them to becollected (thank goodness). She is going to order some size 6 for nighttime and arrange some more washable pants. I think we will need a lot of these washable pants as DS has got through 4 so far today and its still 2 hours until bed time.

LouiseIfe · 24/02/2012 16:50

Hi im new but wanted to share my experience my DS is 5 with ASD he did the same as your son he just went to the toilet one day and did a wee we was amazed couldnt belive it we had issues with poo for about 6 months as he didnt understand about sitting on the toilet to poo as he stood up to wee then he started school in a special provision for ASD children they did a social story and worked on it at school and it worked he is now fully toilet trained day and night x

ohmeohmy · 24/02/2012 17:05

Someone over on my thread about toiling recommended the social story 'sneaky poo' sorry don't have the link to hand but google it. It is free to download. We are giving it a go. Helps by distancing the issue from the child a little, so it is us against sneaky poo rather than me trying desperately to get him to use the toilet properly.

SallyBear · 24/02/2012 17:22

Thanks Richmond. SallyBear is the name of my elderly yellow Labrador!!! Smile

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