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Original poster

Toilet training nearly 4 year old with DS

12 replies

howdy · 01/04/2004 20:13

Can anyone give me any advice on how to toilet train son who is 4 in 3 weeks time and has DS? Seem to be really struggling with this one. We are successful about 1 out of 10/15 attempts.

OP posts:
KPB · 01/04/2004 20:35

howdy - One suggestion I was given when potty training dd - who has language difficulties, was to place a nappy over the potty to provide a Visual clue. It didn't help with dd as she just got it by the time she was 3 anyway but could be useful and certainly worth trying. Good luck!

Jimjams · 01/04/2004 21:14

We've just toilet trained my 4 and a half year old son with autism. TBH we didn't do that much in the end. I used PECS (do you use these?) and made him go often. In the end he worked it out himself, and night training followed naturally. I thought he would never get it but it did click in the end.

Do you use fish oils? It can help with dyspraxia type stuff and it seemed to help our son's toilet training.

Fio2 · 01/04/2004 21:16

howdy we are having similar problems with my daughter who has global development delays. We are trying Pecs toilet symbol along with the makaton sign for toilet. She is not 'playing' though and I am just having to keep trying with her. Not much help sorry!

Original poster
howdy · 02/04/2004 09:18

Thanks for advice. I dont know what Pecs is. We use makaton signs with him but his communication is good. What kind of fish oils would be best and how did it help?

OP posts:
Original poster
howdy · 02/04/2004 09:18

Thanks for advice. I dont know what Pecs is. We use makaton signs with him but his communication is good. What kind of fish oils would be best and how did it help?

OP posts:
Babsy · 11/04/2004 20:10

My daughter has severe autism and had no speech and very little understanding at the age of three. I managed to toilet train her by taking her with me everytime I had to go,and sitting her on the toilet.Evebtually she started going on her own . When she regressed again at age 5 , even though she had some speech and understanding she ignored all the signals of wanting to go. I had to resort to the old method of taking her each time I went or at set intervals. Age 6 and shes dry again ...

Davros · 13/04/2004 22:52

Iniation and spontaneity are the key. Once they "get it" you can work on their technique! I think you should use a picture schedule plus a PECs card and Makaton signing for requesting. Also lots of reinforcement for any reasonable attempts and ignore accidents. I've seen the most unlikely kids toilet trained but it takes time and consistency. Luckily mine always found the process itself reinforcing and at one time got too keen on it and lined up, trousers down, to the buckets of flowers in the local supermarket. He also went through a phase of pulling his trousers down anywhere and everywhere for a wee, we would give him a wedgie and march him home! I would say it still took a year from day one of training to not thinking about it when going out but there was lots of progress over that time. He's been independent at home for some time and now goes on his own when we're out (as long as I can see the door) and he asks to go to the toilet from a distance using Makaton.

Davros · 14/04/2004 11:08

That first word should read initiation!

InternationalGirl · 14/04/2004 20:37

Hi!
Davros - Your recent post reminded me of my NT DD1 who was potty training and had pretty much just 'got it' when one day Dad decided to take her out without the nappy. They went to the hardware store and DD1 seeing something she was familiar with 'whipped her pants down and tried to get up on the porcelains on display'. Daddy had to have a quick backtrack and try to explain to someone who was doing something that was just starting to come naturally that she could just not go THERE!!

True consistency is the key. Soon as we decided not to put the nappies on at all (if we were home) and just to keep at it DD2 (who has autism) eventually 'got it'.

And I love the idea of using the Makaton signing idea from a distance. Trouble is DD2 really doesn't ask for help with the potty. If she asks for help with anything it is pulling us by the finger to what she wants and 'throwing' our hand in that direction. She has now figured out what to do on the potty at age 4.1 and occasionally we will find her just sitting on the pot doing her thing. Other times you have to read the signs and prompt her to go or it will be in her pants. On the whole repetition, perserverance and consistency.

We also took DD2 with us whenever we 'went' so she could see how it's done and we had to do this for several months before it sunk in.

Good luck howdy. It's not easy but it is so great when they 'get it'.

MABS · 14/04/2004 20:41

trying to do this with ds who is coming up 4 with mild Cerebral Palsy. Total disaster so far here , will keep my eye one this thread! Good Luck

Davros · 14/04/2004 21:39

IG, ho ho, we had a sitting on the toilet situation in Homebase a while ago I think my son was at the same kind of stage as your DD2 at that age but he is now 8.5 and has definitely made progress over those extra years, its always slow but the progress is there, especially when you look back at something so tangible as toilet training.
I agree with ditching the nappies if possible and using any copying skills they have too (at last, a role for all the dads!).
There is one method that I've come across a few times which involves pulling the wet pants up and down several times. I think this is absolutely a horrible idea and I personally wouldn't ever do it. For one I think its disrespectful and doesn't teach a child whose had an accident or who doesn't "get it" anything and second, certainly with many autistic children, its just not going to work, they will just perceive it as attention and not be able to discern the idea that it means we don't do something because its dirty etc. I think its much better to teach the "right" behaviour with reinforcement rather than try to convey the "wrong" behaviour by drawing attention to it.
Does that make sense? Bit of a ramble.

InternationalGirl · 14/04/2004 23:06

Yes - definitely better to teach the 'right' behaviour - especially with SN kids who are more inclined to copy.

We have found this out with our DD2.

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