Potty training can be an exciting and challenging step for families! For individuals with ASD, potty training can pose additional challenges. Below are some tips to help children with independence in the potty!
Communication
One challenge that can often arise for individuals with ASD who are nonverbal, is that they may not have a functional way to communicate for the bathroom. This can lead to independence and success at home, but difficulty communicating for the bathroom in the community.
In my room, we utilize a laminated visual of a potty that is taped to the bathroom door so clients can communicate by pointing or pulling a therapist to the door. Additionally, if clients utilize PECS to communicate, they have access to a PEC for the potty, which they can exchange for at any point. If the child utilizes sign language, they can also sign for "potty". At home, you can utilize any of these methods to encourage communication from your child. Additionally, if your child is verbal, it is helpful to encourage them to say “potty” or “bathroom” even while they are at home, so that they are used to communicating for it. If possible, you can also keep the bathroom door closed and encourage them to ask so they can generalize the skill to the classroom or other settings where they may need to ask an adult.
Sensory
A neurotypical adult may not find a bathroom overstimulating, but for a young child with sensory sensitivities, it can be scary. Depending on the child’s specific sensory sensitivities, they may benefit from any of the following:
-Noise-cancelling headphones for the sounds (flushing the toilet, hearing others in a public restroom)
-Dimmed Lighting (if possible)
- Blocking the sensor on automatic flushing toilets (unpredictability)
-Talking through what to expect in bathrooms other than the one at home (social story)
-Using a seat on top of the toilet or facing backwards while sitting on the toilet
Behavior
It is important to reinforce the appropriate behavior that you want your child to continue. Reinforcement can be done through a sticker chart, a small treat, a special song or video, and lots of praise! Each time your child successfully uses the potty, it is important to give them lots of praise to encourage the behavior. If your child has an accident, it is helpful to label what happened and remind them that they can ask for the potty. It is important to remind them of the expectation, but it is not helpful to yell when they have an accident. Remember, accidents will happen as they learn how to recognize their bodily cues and request the potty in time!
Consistency
In ABA therapy, when clients are potty training they often utilize a timer and have them sit on the potty to try to go every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or every hour. This can be challenging to maintain, but it can be helpful to get ahead of accidents because the child has access to the potty so often. This can be a great way to have your child utilize the potty for the first time since there is a high chance that they will go during one of the attempts.
Independence
For some children, they may need support with the stages of going to the bathroom such as pulling their pants down/up. A visual schedule of the potty routine can be a helpful first step. Additionally, it is helpful to use clothing with an elastic waist rather than a zipper and buttons because it encourages the child’s independence, and increases their likelihood to make it to the potty quickly. Modified buttons or zippers can also work. Additionally, you can layer underwear over a pull-up or diaper to introduce the feeling of wearing them, without removing the protection of a diaper if they have an accident.
Remember, it typically takes longer for individuals with ASD or other developmental disabilities to become potty trained for a variety of reasons. Some families choose to begin exposing their child to the potty, but follow their child's lead for when to start officially potty training. Remember to stay positive and do what works for your family!
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