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Autism and toilet training issues/ fears

20 replies

KaySamuels · 22/07/2008 09:48

Just wondered if anyone else had experienced this in any way?

DS is on the autistic spectrum (confirmed vocally by ed psych, but he is only 3yrs and verbal so is having termly IEPs for now and working with salt and visual timetables).

Anyway, he has a huge fear of sitting on the toilet! He will stand and wee into the toilet, and has maybe twice sat and wee'd very recently (which I am hoping means he may be turning a corner). We now have little visual prompts to put up for him, provided by preschool senco which I need to put up on the wall in order.

Are there any books anyone can recommend on this issue? Or has anyone else found anything that helps?

Since we had his asd confirmed I have completely backed off from the issue (was low key about i with ds anyway), and I am hoping to give him chance to go at it himself in his own time over the summer hols.

Thanks if you read all this - it's turned into quite an essay!!

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Tclanger · 22/07/2008 10:51

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moondog · 22/07/2008 10:54

Youcouldtake a behaviouralapproach andget him to associate the loo with something nice Maybe abook or a particular song or evenachocolatebutton.

moondog · 22/07/2008 10:54

Youcouldtake a behaviouralapproach andget him to associate the loo with something nice Maybe abook or a particular song or evenachocolatebutton.

moondog · 22/07/2008 10:54

Youcouldtake a behaviouralapproach andget him to associate the loo with something nice Maybe abook or a particular song or evenachocolatebutton.

Original poster
KaySamuels · 22/07/2008 11:03

Hi TClanger, will go have a look, forgot about that thread!

DS afraid of hand driers too, and hair dryers, and alarms.....

Moondog, thelast time he sat on loo he took a book in with him (which showed a pic of a boy on the loo), we have tried chocolate, presents, stickers, reward charts

his key worker at nursery said she has neverseen a child so terrified to sit on the loo!

When he sat on the loo at my mums it was because she had a piggy loo seat from tescos (looks a little like wibbly pig) - went to get one but sold out.

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Original poster
KaySamuels · 22/07/2008 11:04

we have had lots of books for him too,

the book that has been most successful was a body book which just happened to have a toilet picture in it!

I have found most books show potties too, which is no good as he is so literal.

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Aefondkiss · 22/07/2008 13:30

hello Kay
like your ds, my ds has has fears which he seems to be getting over hand driers, hairdryer, hoover...he will now help me to hoover, still working on the other two, but he has come on so much in the last year.

I tried toilet training last year, but my ds wasn't ready, couldn't hold on, wasn't showing any signs, but he could stand up to the loo to pee.... unfortunately he has got less co-operative as he has got more able, we are trying again, he can hold onto pee for ever, and poo... he is in pants now, dry at night - what is working for us - my thread is maybe not the typical approach, but I have had some good advice.

Good luck, I know it is hard work!

Original poster
KaySamuels · 22/07/2008 22:06

Hi there aefondkiss

It's so tricky to know what to do for best isn't it?

DS has had excellent bladder and bowel control from an early age, but just has this fear of sitting and pooing and as mentioned on your thread by another poster, he is also BIG, so potties and potty chairs were always uncomfortable and discarded straight away!

I feel very confused and conflicted right now, trying to get my head around what is his ASD related stuff and what is behavioural, and just generally feeling angsty and guilty!

It's reassuring to know other 'real' parents are in the same position though.

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Tclanger · 22/07/2008 22:16

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Original poster
KaySamuels · 22/07/2008 22:28

DS freaks people out with his cuckoo-ing!

I may try that again with ds re the hand dryers, but he is so scared of them he will cry and clamp his hands on his ears, desperate to get as far away from them as possible.
It's good to know your ds got over his fear though - gives me hope!

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RustyBear · 22/07/2008 22:31

I work at a junior school which has a resource for chidren with ASD & a few years ago we had a child who was terrified of toilets - when she started at our school she would use one in her own house at first, but no others. The resource head & her TA did a lot of work with her - before she arrived I took photos of one of the toilets at school to help her get used to it & she had a doll which would go into the toilet first.
Her TA made her a board game with things like 'Use the toilets at McDonalds - move forward five spaces' until finally she got to the Golden Toilet at the end. After a while at school only using one toilet she progressed to using others (but only white ones), later after a lot of help she would use other colours & even used one on a school trip (again after I'd been there first with another class & taken pictures)

I think it's possible it's a sensory thing - when you think of the smells, echoes and other strange noises, shiny surfaces etc there are in a toilet, it can be a bit overwhelming for an NT child, let alone one with sensory issues.

Aefondkiss · 22/07/2008 22:47

that is good to know Rusty, I will bear it in mind for my ds and his fear of the school loo (which has hand driers and a fan that goes on when you walk into the loo)

Tclanger · 23/07/2008 07:39

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Original poster
KaySamuels · 23/07/2008 18:09

DS sat on the toilet today and did a wee!

I put up the drawings / visual time line the school senco had given me, he was very curious about it and immediately went in there and did it!! I was sooo excited!

He has wee'd twice before tho sitting down, so he got lots of fuss and praise, and a good boy sticker which he has worn all day. I have a large present on the sideboard which he can have when he poos and he seems to understand it.

Tclanger - isn't it strange the things they latch onto!

Rusty I think you are right about it being sensory, our toilet is always cold, ds has vocalised his fear tho of falling into it! To tempt him we have tried all sorts of different seats, he choose a soft one today with diggers on it.

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Tclanger · 23/07/2008 18:39

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Original poster
KaySamuels · 23/07/2008 18:41

a voo

DS calls the cycle pump a 'shank'

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Tclanger · 23/07/2008 19:23

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Aefondkiss · 23/07/2008 22:33

great news Kay!

magso · 24/07/2008 16:10

Kay we had cookoos and pidgeons too (and a very realistic frog croak)!!
On the toilet front ds (also too large for an average potty) accepted supportive toddler seat using the lid as a back support- and paper down the loo to stop the splash back! A friend gave us an old oversized pottychair which was how we got started. Great progress!

Original poster
KaySamuels · 24/07/2008 20:50

we had another sit down wee today!

what is it with these bird noises!?!

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