Teachers_Aide
10-03-2004, 07:47 PM
Hi !!!
I'm new =) Looking for some advice.
I'm a Teachers Aide with a young boy with Autism. I have been working with him and his family for 3 years now. This child is now 5 years old and in Elementary School.
The parents are trying desperately to potty train him and have for over a year. He will urinate in the toilet but will not have a bowel movement...
He does a BM in his pants, in bed, on the floor, etc...
We have tried several methods... Including Visuals, Songs/Stories and Movies on toileting, Praise and so on... No luck.
He was non-verbal up untill last August. (He will answer some questions, but not yet asking questions.)
I'm curious if anyone has experienced this with their child.... Or perhaps know of other methods we can try.
Thank You!!
melissa_dawn_wood@yahoo.ca
I'm new =) Looking for some advice.
I'm a Teachers Aide with a young boy with Autism. I have been working with him and his family for 3 years now. This child is now 5 years old and in Elementary School.
The parents are trying desperately to potty train him and have for over a year. He will urinate in the toilet but will not have a bowel movement...
He does a BM in his pants, in bed, on the floor, etc...
We have tried several methods... Including Visuals, Songs/Stories and Movies on toileting, Praise and so on... No luck.
He was non-verbal up untill last August. (He will answer some questions, but not yet asking questions.)
I'm curious if anyone has experienced this with their child.... Or perhaps know of other methods we can try.
Thank You!!
melissa_dawn_wood@yahoo.ca
Sponsor
ang64063
10-04-2004, 01:11 PM
Does he have a regular bowel movement time? Do you know that at 9AM everyday he is going to go and hide and then you realize 10 minutes later, he needs to be changed? Maybe if you can catch him in the process, you can get him started that way. That way he might learn that using the potty can be used for both pee and bowel movements.
The one thing that worked for us was a bathroom potty toy. This can be any toy as long as it can hold his attention (video games, electronic education games, etc). This toy can only be used when he is sitting on the potty and cannot be taken from the bathroom. Since he already knows how to use the potty to pee in, maybe they can say okay this toy can only be played with when you use the potty to make bowel movements in. For the first few weeks or so that they try this, make sure that the toy goes with them everywhere they go. I am not sure how receptive the school would be to letting him have this, but it might be worth a shot to ask. What it did for my son was it relaxed him enough and he would forget why he was on the potty, that he could pee and poop at the same time. We found that he actually wanted to go to the bathroom after a certain amount of time just so he could play with the toy. It was not uncommon for him to stay in the bathroom for 30 minutes or more.
When he starts making bowel movements, start implimenting a sticker chart. Everytime he make a bowel movement, praise him and have him put a sticker on a chart. Give him a goal of say 5 stickers in a week and say okay if you get 5 stickers this week, you get to: rent a movie, pick out a toy from the Dollar Store, go to the park, etc. And when he misses, don't dwell on it, just clean him up and put clean clothes on him.
Another thing, try reading potty books to him. I know there are several good ones out there, but I cannot for the life of me think of the names of the books.
If none of these work, I would suggest you suggest having him see a doctor because it could be that he is scared or unsure that he can do it on his own.
Good Luck!
The one thing that worked for us was a bathroom potty toy. This can be any toy as long as it can hold his attention (video games, electronic education games, etc). This toy can only be used when he is sitting on the potty and cannot be taken from the bathroom. Since he already knows how to use the potty to pee in, maybe they can say okay this toy can only be played with when you use the potty to make bowel movements in. For the first few weeks or so that they try this, make sure that the toy goes with them everywhere they go. I am not sure how receptive the school would be to letting him have this, but it might be worth a shot to ask. What it did for my son was it relaxed him enough and he would forget why he was on the potty, that he could pee and poop at the same time. We found that he actually wanted to go to the bathroom after a certain amount of time just so he could play with the toy. It was not uncommon for him to stay in the bathroom for 30 minutes or more.
When he starts making bowel movements, start implimenting a sticker chart. Everytime he make a bowel movement, praise him and have him put a sticker on a chart. Give him a goal of say 5 stickers in a week and say okay if you get 5 stickers this week, you get to: rent a movie, pick out a toy from the Dollar Store, go to the park, etc. And when he misses, don't dwell on it, just clean him up and put clean clothes on him.
Another thing, try reading potty books to him. I know there are several good ones out there, but I cannot for the life of me think of the names of the books.
If none of these work, I would suggest you suggest having him see a doctor because it could be that he is scared or unsure that he can do it on his own.
Good Luck!
Teachers_Aide
10-04-2004, 02:21 PM
Hi!!
Thank you!
I will definitly suggest the toy in the bathroom. When he is sitting at the computer or into a show on TV he has bowel movements. His mother had joked before about putting the nintendo in the bathroom but has never tried anything like that.
He has a bowel movement between 4pm-6pm. He'll hold it at school or at someone elses home. (Also has bowel movements throughout the night, in bed.)
We have tried sticker charts and he has no interest in it what-so-ever. He loves praise and we've used this, but still, no BM's in the toilet.
Thanks again!!! I appreciate it!
Melissa
Thank you!
I will definitly suggest the toy in the bathroom. When he is sitting at the computer or into a show on TV he has bowel movements. His mother had joked before about putting the nintendo in the bathroom but has never tried anything like that.
He has a bowel movement between 4pm-6pm. He'll hold it at school or at someone elses home. (Also has bowel movements throughout the night, in bed.)
We have tried sticker charts and he has no interest in it what-so-ever. He loves praise and we've used this, but still, no BM's in the toilet.
Thanks again!!! I appreciate it!
Melissa
ang64063
10-04-2004, 04:06 PM
She might consider investing in one of those Game Boy games. For my son it was V-Tech's Flip For Phonics.
I Love LJC
10-04-2004, 07:07 PM
Does he have a favorite TV character.Get someone to go along on this. :) Tell him we are gonna call Say Bob the Builder and let you talk with him and tell him you used the potty also make a big deal out of it say a celebration party.Praise gos along way.Good Luck
BleuRoziz
10-06-2004, 12:10 PM
My son was over 5 years old before he started doing BM in the bathroom. He was doing fine with urination, and tried BM from time to time, but I finally just had had enough.
I steeled my resolve and woke him up EVERY NIGHT for 2-3 weeks to get him to use the bathroom, and it finally just took.
Now that he's 9 all he wants to do is spend his time doing the things he likes, to the point of not listening to his body when its time to go! LOL He waits til the verylastsecond and then darts off.
I have started reminding him to go just before bed and when he wakes up. It helps.
I steeled my resolve and woke him up EVERY NIGHT for 2-3 weeks to get him to use the bathroom, and it finally just took.
Now that he's 9 all he wants to do is spend his time doing the things he likes, to the point of not listening to his body when its time to go! LOL He waits til the verylastsecond and then darts off.
I have started reminding him to go just before bed and when he wakes up. It helps.
lillypad
10-06-2004, 03:55 PM
I agree with all the incentive ideas. Here is what I am wondering. How did he learn to pee in the toliet? Did Dad teach him, does he stand up? The reason I am asking is that perhaps he doesn't really "get" that he needs to sit down on the toliet to have a b.m. In fact, it could be as simple as him not making the connection - Our kids learn by example like ever other kid! Maybe a simplistic observation, but maybe Dad can "show him" what happens.