Help me potty train dd2 (ASD)

[Marne]

Nursery has started putting her on the potty (dd is a bit shocked), up until now i have been realy lazzy and hav'nt bothered with potty training, i thought it would be to hard as she is non-verbal.

After seing how fast she took to using PECS at nursery im starting to think 'maybe she's brighter than i thought' and maybe she will be easy to potty train.

Today i have given her the potty (to look at), so far she has pushed it along the floor, put it on her head but not sat on it.

Do i just sit her on it evry hour or so using a PECS card/picture?

How do i get her to sit on it for more than a few seconds (she tends to fidget)?

Is the fact that she does'nt talk going to be a issue or will i be able to do this just as well using PECS?

So far we have only used the PECS for food and nursery routine but she seems to have picked it up well.

Any advice welcome.

My ds was in year 1 before he got dx but we potty trained him when he was 3. He was non-verbal and not using pecs at the time but it wasn't a huge problem, we just made sure the potty was always in the same room as him and he had easy to pull down clothes(no trousers to start) I think we started sitting him on it now and again and plonking him on when he looked like he was about to go - he got the idea fairly quickly considering his language problems. When he started nursery the toilets were straight off the classroom so he could just go. He got the hang of weeing quite quickly (poo-ing took longer and not so easy with the non-verbal thing as he needed help and couldn't ask - but you have pecs so should be easier). Good luck!

She sat on the potty for an hour this evening, whilst we looked at books together and watched tv, im supprised she sat still for that long. She stll did'nt do anything though. Dd1 is itching to show her what to do .

that's great Marne, that was the biggest bit of the battle for us, getting him to sit on the thing!

sorry to crash this thread. have just been looking at the PECS website. we are very new to this and i am trying to find out as much as possible about all kinds of treatment. is it like portage where someone comes to your house? or do you go on a workshop to learn how to do it? is it expensive? i was thinking about doing him a photobook anyway with photos of things like drinks, people, places.

Hi porgie, My ds' school use PECS, we don't use it at home because he was 6 before he went there and his communication at home was quite good. I think they do courses but have no idea where/how much. I'm sure someone will be able to tell you. ds' school imparted some of their wisdom on parents which was quite useful.

Yes they do courses, i havn't been on one yet but i will be going soon (i hope).

PECS uses pictures and symbols to comunicate, i think its aimed at children with no speech. We started using photo's stuck on a velcro strip for when she has a drink and snack at school, she then points to what she wants, next she was taught to hand me the photo when she wanted something, when she hands it over i then say 'I want ' as if i am saying what she should be saying. Dd has caugt on to it realy fast and now we are using PECS symbols along side the photo's, she now exchanges photo's and symbols for, food, bubbles (she loves bubbles), to ask to go outside and to ask for a drink.

We started with a book of her favorite food, toys, photos of the family, her bed, the car, our house and playgroup. In the back of the book i have put a velcro stpip for when she needs to choose food, drink and toys.

Dd2 is 2.7 and non-verbal (possible ASD or Language disorder), until a few weeks ago she had no form of comunication, PECS has changed her life and now she can make choices. I would recomend using PECS, since doing PECS dd has said her first word (banana) whilst exchanging a PECS symbol.

why do you need the velcro strip, can't they just flick to the page in a photobook?

We use the velcro book for snack, so you can stick 3 choices of food (eg fruit, apple, orange, banana) on the strip and then they have the choices laid out infront of them, they can then point to there choice or peel of the picture and hand it to you.

Once they get used to PECS you can use the velcro strip to lay out symbols for things like getting dressed (what order to do things in, pants, trousers, top, socks, shoes) or to explain you are going out (shoes,car, where you are going)

Before i take her to playgroup i give her photos, of her shoes, the car and playgroup in order on her velcro strip, when we complete a task (say put on shoes) we then take the photo off so she knows its done.

I supposse it depends on the child, dd does'nt realy comunicate through talk and doesn't understant things like 'put your shoes on' or 'we are going to ) so by showing her through pictures in order of how things will be done, makes it a lot less confussing for her.

your dd sounds like my ds, 2.4, he has very few words, will drag you over to what he wants and put your hand on it, e.g. fridge door. how far on are you with investigations, what help are you getting? does she go to nursery? so sorry Marne for hijacking the thread, very rude of me! xxx

just like dd, she drags me and uses my hand to point at what she wants (she does this less since using PECS), she goes to our local oppitunity group (special playgroup) for 2 mornings a week, up until last week i stayed with her for half the morning so worked along side the staff whilst teaching Dd PECS, she has been at the playgroup for half a term so we have only been using PECS for just over a month.

Dd has seen our local paed (a few months ago) and has been refered to the Autistic dx team at our local hospital/childrens centre, we have her next appointment next wed. We were told by the paed that dd was on the spectrum (somewhere) , she has seen our local SALT but is now seeing SALT at the playgroup once a week. The SALT at the playgroup told us that at such an early age it is hard to tell if its ASD or speach/language disorder, they then decided it was best to use PECS with her as alot of ASD children wont use signing.

We are now confussed as to what her dx will be. My other dd has AS so we suspect dd2 has ASD.

Don't wory about hyjacking, its nice to talk to others in the same situation, and its nice to share our experiances of PECS as it is working so well with us.

All i can advice is you start by using Photo cards with food (i know my dd will do anything for food), Give him 3 choices (photos), i gave dd 2 photos of things she loves most (banana, crisps) and one of something she doesn't like as much (orange), then they learn the concept of choice and they learn that they get what they point at IYKWIM. When we first started dd would point to the orange, we gave her orange, eventualy she learnt not to point at the orange and to point to something she likes.

After 2 weeks we had her handing over the photo's in exchange for the food.

Hope this helps

Have you got a dx for you ds?

The fact that he uses/drags you to what he wants shows he is bright, if he's like my dd PECS will be easy for him to pick up.

only just had initial appointment with paed developmental cons. the reg did the tests (griffiths i think) he scored at 48 mths on his locomotion, all other areas were scored below his age. the reg said he thought it was just speech that was a problem, then the cons came in and watched him for a bit, they repeated the tests and the suggestion of asd was made then. he couldn't do the body parts, he has no imaginative play, he was lying on floor lining up his cars, he didn't respond to his name and eye contact is variable. we are waiting for SALT, Portage and further assessment at the childrens centre. we are in the north west, where are you? am going to take some photos tonight and start using them tomorrow. well done dd for saying bannana.
is ASD usually common in sibs? have a 12 week old girl.

Sound just like dd, we have now taught her to point at body parts (in the last few weeks), she has no imagination, lines up toys, can complete a 50 piece jigsaw puzzle, won't answer to name (this is getting better) and has variable eye contact. We are in the south west, we waited 3 months for SALT, portage have just started comming (once a week). The SALT refered us to the playgroup, since being there her eye contact has improved and she sometimes answers to her name.

There is no proof that ASD runs in the family but alot of families have more than 1 ASD child. It seems alot more common in boys than girls. Sometimes i can see AS traits in dh and myself.

I asked the paed about the risks of future sibs having it, they told me if you have one with it, there is around a 30% chance of the next child having it.

If you get the chance to send him to a special playgroup i would highly recomend that you send him, dd has change so much since going to playgroup.

pecs info

course info

i am also a bit quirky like things lined up and have to count certain things! where can i find out about the special play groups?
the pecs thing sounds quite complicated and says you need 2 people at first, how would i do this on my own with a baby aswell?
sorry for the long pause, ds is poorley and took ages to go to bed!

When you see SALT as them if there is an opitunity group near you/special playgroup, you need to get a referal from a GP,HV or SALT.

PECS is easier with 2 people but it is possible to do with one, at playgroup we use 2 people but at home i do it on my own (my dh isn't keen on helping as he hasn't excepted dd's possible ASD).

To start with sit at a table with him at snack time, give him an empy plate, lay 3 pictures out infront of him (say apple, banana and orange), to start with put the fruit next to the pictures so he can see clearly what the pictures meen, next say 'ds, what would you like to eat', use his finger and point to each picture saying what they are 'apple, banana or orange', let him look at the pictures, whilst making him point look for any kind or reaction (a sound, a long stare at a paticular photo or a clear point), if you get any kind or reaction for a picture then take that as his choice, point his finger on to the choice and say 'I want ', give him the fruit.

When you get the chance to have another person with you, get him to hand you the photo by the other person putting it in his hand and physicly make him pass it too you. With dd we only needed the 2nd person a couple times as she picked it up within 2 days. If you get stuck finding another person you can put it in his hand and make him pass it too you but it is easier with 2 people and less confussing for your ds.

I can see this maybe hard with a small baby, maybe plan snack time around babys nap. I find it hard when dd1 is home from school but now she just joins in with dd2 and thinks its one big game.

At first it can take up alot of time, now dd keeps bringing me her photo of 'crisps' expecting food in return.

You could also just make him up a little book of photo's to get him used to pointing at them and getting a reply from you. Maybe a picture of you, dp/dh, baby,his drink cup, his bed/cot, your house and any pets. Just leeve the book where he can get it so he can flick through or bring it to you when ever he likes.

How long have you been waiting for SALT and portage?

Hope you DS is feeling better, dd2 was up in the night too, feeling a bit tierd this morning.

hi,
ds a lot better now thanks, he just had bad cold, but is nightmare as he wont take any medicine, had to plead with gp on fri to give me suppositories for him. then couldn't get them anywhere on sat and he woke up boiling, we nearly chocked him trying to get 2.5mls brufen down him. got the suppositories now so hoping for a good night. me and hubby are off to bed now!
have started to take photos am going to put them in an album for him.
i have only just sent back the SALT questionaire, and the portage one, so god knows how long it will be.
i just feel that even though i've suspected it for ages, now tgat someone has suggested ASD i'm making allowences for him all the time and letting him get away with more, and reading traits into everything he does. whereas before i just said he is being naughty!
does your little one watch lots of TV? we have to watch DVDS all day when in the house, this week we are alternating between surfs up and over the hedge. i know the words off by heart!!!
hope you've had a better weekend x