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What to DO?
1. Build on the child’s strong visual and motor skills, and his
or her enjoyment of routine.
2.
Define a realistic goal and decide if your child is ready for training.
Over a period of one or two weeks, observe your child’s patterns.
Is your child dry for significant periods of time? Is there some
regularity in wetting/soiling? Does your child show any awareness
that he/she is wet/soiled? Does your child pause while wetting or
soiling? If the answers to all of these questions is “no,”
then your child may not be ready for a goal of independent toilet
use.
3. Even if your youngster is not ready for independent toilet use,
establishing a positive bathroom routine may still be appropriate.
This may be the case if you observe your child learning some of
the routines of toilet use, such as being able to dress without
help, and if your child shows special interests (or even fears)
in the bathroom.
4. If your child appears ready for independent toilet use, establishing
a routine can be possible.
• Help your child with autism learn that using the toilet is
an activity associated with the bathroom. Move all diapering, cleaning,
and toilet-related dressing to the bathroom.
• Make the bathroom secure and not too stimulating. Think about
good physical support for the child on the toilet. He/she will be
calmer when his/her body feels safe.
” Remember, plumbing makes noise. The child may need soft music
playing to help eliminate uncomfortable sounds.
• Create a visual support for each step of the task. A transition
object can be used to help the child go to the bathroom. Anything
that helps the child understand that the bathroom routine that follows
is good. A favorite object or picture can be placed in the bathroom,
or a hand soap with a scent the child enjoys can be used as part
of the bathroom routine.
• When in the bathroom, continue to use the visual supports
for each step of the routine.
• Include a picture that shows the child what happens when
he/she is done using the toilet. A picture of “Go play”
may be a good motivator for the child and also helps him or her
know when the task is done. Finishing a task is a very powerful
motivator for children with autism.
Next time we will review some trouble-shooting ideas for specific
toileting problems.
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