Re: potty-training

This is an archived message. Please visit our New Message Board If you would like more information regarding The Son-Rise Program please visit our Catalog and Mailing List Request form. Son-Rise Program Information - for families with special children. The New Son-Rise Program Catalog is now available! 32 pages packed with information, photos, stories, endorsements, Q&A's, and practical tools to help you get started with the Son-Rise ProgramŽ right away.

Posted By A Son-Rise Message Board Participant on September 28, 1999 at 00:59:25:

In Reply to: potty-training posted byYvette on September 21, 1999 at 17:14:36:

Are you sure Remon understands that He is supposed to pee in a potty and how to let go without feeling a diaper? While we might think it's so obvious that he'd surely understand what we want just because we tell him, consider the possibility that he doesn't fully understand. Then, look at ways you can make it clear in addition to telling him. At a recent Autism conference, I saw a great poster with a pictured sequence of the steps involved in going to the bathroom. At one point with Curty, we squeezed a water bottle into the toilet between his legs while explaining that he could do that with his penis. He did seem to try a little harder after that, and initiated trying on his own but his challenge was a huge fear of letting go into the potty.

After years of trying various things to make the potty seem inviting and encourage Curty to go, we did find a few things that finally did the trick. First, we did a educational unit activity separate from the potty work where we listed and pictured the difference between babies and children. We included all sorts of things he liked to do like running and sliding in the children section as well as wearing underwear and using the potty. We mounted photos of children and babies he knew under each of the categories. It was done as a lesson in differences rather than a judgement about what he, as a child, should be doing. At the same time, we got him used to underwear, with "yea, you're now old enough to wear these and they're so comfy." And when he chose to wear them alot, we left all diapers in the bathroom and said that was where they needed to stay. For quite awhile, he'd go to the bathroom and request a diaper to do his business and we'd give him one, all the while talking about how we knew he'd be using the potty soon. Then, we eased him into standing in front of the potty while going, then, I'd drop the front of the diaper a bit just as he was going (ooops!) then would ask him to put a few drops in to get a diaper, then more until he was putting it all in. We did a similar thing with poop although it was much harder. It was a major phobia for him that we spent lots of time trying to help him be comfortable with. Once he had put one in, we decided to go cold turkey. We told him that we knew he was big now and able to use the potty so we didn't need to buy more diapers. He could use up the ones we had and then they'd be gone. Since we had several bags, he had a month to get ready. Then, when the diapers were gone, we could empathyze with him and encourage him without being bullies. We were there to support him and help him with what he needed but darn it, there just weren't any diapers in the house. It took him three days to let go into the potty and after that he was totally trained.
Gaylen

Follow Ups

• Re: Re: potty-training yvette 17:31:15 9/29/99 (1)
  • Re: Re: Re: potty-training Shara Ouston 16:28:35 10/04/99 (0)

Name:
Subject: Re: Re: potty-training

Comments:: Are you sure Remon understands that He is supposed to pee in a potty and how to let go without feeling a diaper? While we might think it's so obvious that he'd surely understand what we want just because we tell him, consider the possibility that he doesn't fully understand. Then, look at ways you can make it clear in addition to telling him. At a recent Autism conference, I saw a great poster with a pictured sequence of the steps involved in going to the bathroom. At one point with Curty, we squeezed a water bottle into the toilet between his legs while explaining that he could do that with his penis. He did seem to try a little harder after that, and initiated trying on his own but his challenge was a huge fear of letting go into the potty. : After years of trying various things to make the potty seem inviting and encourage Curty to go, we did find a few things that finally did the trick. First, we did a educational unit activity separate from the potty work where we listed and pictured the difference between babies and children. We included all sorts of things he liked to do like running and sliding in the children section as well as wearing underwear and using the potty. We mounted photos of children and babies he knew under each of the categories. It was done as a lesson in differences rather than a judgement about what he, as a child, should be doing. At the same time, we got him used to underwear, with "yea, you're now old enough to wear these and they're so comfy." And when he chose to wear them alot, we left all diapers in the bathroom and said that was where they needed to stay. For quite awhile, he'd go to the bathroom and request a diaper to do his business and we'd give him one, all the while talking about how we knew he'd be using the potty soon. Then, we eased him into standing in front of the potty while going, then, I'd drop the front of the diaper a bit just as he was going (ooops!) then would ask him to put a few drops in to get a diaper, then more until he was putting it all in. We did a similar thing with poop although it was much harder. It was a major phobia for him that we spent lots of time trying to help him be comfortable with. Once he had put one in, we decided to go cold turkey. We told him that we knew he was big now and able to use the potty so we didn't need to buy more diapers. He could use up the ones we had and then they'd be gone. Since we had several bags, he had a month to get ready. Then, when the diapers were gone, we could empathyze with him and encourage him without being bullies. We were there to support him and help him with what he needed but darn it, there just weren't any diapers in the house. It took him three days to let go into the potty and after that he was totally trained. : Gaylen