Ideas on how to potty train an 8 year old

[Hurr1cane]

My DS has ASC and a variety of other learning disabilities and medical issues.

He was potty trained up until the age of 4 when he regressed and started having accidents. I carried on trying with him until last year when he was just dribbling all the time and didn't seem to have any bladder control. The continence nurse said to put him back in nappies until he forgot his training, then start again using medicines to improve his bladder strength.

I am going to start training him after our holiday in the summer, so will start his meds then. But how do I do it?

I've bought a camping toilet for a 'potty' so it can be in whatever room we are in at the time. He doesn't really understand sticker charts etc.

Anyone any ideas?

What is he motivated by??

At work we have recently had some success with a resistant toilet trainer using tiny bits of his favourite snack.

Initially we gave the reward when his bum cheeks touched the toilet but as he relaxed we started counting to 5 then 10 before he got his reward.

The first couple of wees went in his pants but when he got one in the toilet we gave him a larger piece of his reward and loads of claps and cheers and big smiles.

We then gradually reduced the rewards until he was clapping and cheering himself. He did really well although he did still struggle to transfer the skill to home.

He was recently dx'ed with Asd, which we suspected. Most of his demand avoidance isdue to anxiety.

Good luck

I'm not sure. He's not really motivated by anything apart from going in the woods haha, I can't take him in the woods every time he has a wee. But maybe I could get some crisps, he does like crisps. Do you think I'll be able to train him in 4 weeks or am I being over ambitious? I don't want him having to train while we are away because it will be a 5 hour drive and he won't be able to go to the toilet instantly.

Sounds like you are putting yourself under pressure.

Might it better to enjoy your holiday and then start when you get back?

Crisps were what we used

I think the setting of a goal isn't a good idea. Your just going to start and it's going to take as long as it takes. My ds took six months! I was pulling my hair out. He has dyspraxia and low body awareness. I didn't know that at the time. No with my two year old Im not going to start till he is three. Buy lots of cheapie primark pants and shorts so you have about 20 sets - that takes some pressure off as you can wash them once a day and throw the really pants out.

Just make it as stress free for both of you as you can. It took me ags to realse but my ds wouldn't use a potty - he did better on the loo. He didn't feel safe sitting down so low and in the living room in a big space. He felt more secure in the downstairs loo and the hight of the tolilet.

Thank you there's some excellent advice here! We will start after our holiday but then there is a few weeks still left of him being off school so I wanted him to feel confident enough to ask new people to use the toilet.

He does know what a toilet is for as he was trained for so long. It's just that during one of his regressions his bladder stopped working properly so I am hoping that he will be able to use it when he regains control with the meds (again hopefully)

He was supposed to be in nappies for a year so he would 'forget' his toilet training, but his grandad who has him for tea once a week has just carried it on no matter how many times I've gently told him not to. He hasn't told me this but DS echos everything he's heard in the day so he comes home from his grandads saying "and where do you go if you need a wee?"