Advice and Information for Toileting.
Having their children toilet trained is a milestone all parents strive for.
For some parents of children with additional needs this milestone may seem unobtainable. However, experience has taught us that for most children becoming toilet trained is definitely an achievable goal when supportive strategies are implemented, and support is consistent.
Typically developing children usually become clean and dry in the day between the ages of 2-4 years. However, there is good evidence that there is a trend towards later toilet training amongst the general childhood population, there is no age limit for when introducing toilet training is best, it is down to each individual child and their P.S.E development progress.
Toileting should not be stressful for parents or children.
Some ideas and things to consider when toileting:
P.S.E development should be at least 18-24 months before introducing toilet training regardless of chronological age.
Make it fun, choosing new pants to wear, introducing stickers and rewards.
Social stories, books and visuals are a great way to begin to explore with your child familiarising them with stories and ideas and toileting routines.
Practising sitting on the toilet – the use of a toilet seat and steps can offer the practicality needed in supporting children physically to feel safe sitting on the toilet (it is important that a child’s feet are grounded on a hard surface to enable them to poo) and make it visually more appealing and fun.
insert picture
Blowing bubbles whilst sitting on the toilet can be a fun way to encourage a child to poo – the blowing action is a naturally occurring way to stimulate pressure down into the bowels.
Bathroom visuals – familiarity of the same pictures and visual cues that are displayed in the bathroom in setting and at home. (Smart box core boards are now being used by speech and language therapists and offer visual cues for children based on what they are doing at that time.)
Seek G.P advice when suffering with symptoms of constipation to alleviate any negative physical discomfort.
Parent/carer-initiated schedules e.g the use of a diary to establish routines and patterns of behaviour and then scheduling the routine around the predicted times.
Easy access clothing – ensure that they are wearing clothes that are easily pulled up and down independently.
Consider avoiding introducing a potty and using a toilet from the start, especially for children with a diagnosis of ASD, this offers a consistent approach and not have to re learn to transfer from a potty to then using the toilet.
Exploring possible sensory factors in toileting, the use of cold wipes, a cold potty/toilet seat, some children can be particularly sensitive to the lighting and echoes in a bathroom area.
The use of stickers and an immediate motivating reward.
Consistency with home and setting. Following the same approach and the same visuals and routine.
Useful websites and further information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD0ZjAAJybg
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/poo-goes-home-to-pooland/id987924591