Toilet Training For Children With Autism: Steps & Tips
Toilet training can be a difficult process for any child and parent, let alone a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It’s best to start the toilet training process after your child is already aware that they are eliminating in their diaper or pull-up and shows interest in using the toilet.
Signs Your Child is Ready for Toilet Training
This could look different in different children, including, but not limited to:
Your child showing interest in the bathroom/toilet
Telling you when they’ve soiled themselves and need a new diaper/pull-up
Going to a private area in the house to eliminate in their diaper/pull-up
Steps to Begin Toilet Training
When the signs are there, and you’re ready to start toilet training, follow these steps:
Check for Medical Issues
Before starting the toilet training process, check with your child’s doctor to rule out any medical issues that may prevent them from successfully toilet training.
Establish a Routine
If there are no underlying medical issues, start by getting your child into a routine of using the toilet.
Use Visual Schedules
Use a visual schedule to prepare your child for toilet training. Using a schedule can eliminate the element of surprise and will give your child a chance to prepare for toilet training. We have prepared a free PDF Visual Schedule for a Boy or a Girl if you choose.
Pair with Communication
Pair the toilet training with an icon or have your child vocalize “potty” or “bathroom”. Ultimately, we want your child to learn that when they say these types of words, they’ll get access to the potty and will ultimately be reinforced in the end.
Set Regular Timer Intervals
Set a timer for every 60 minutes and take them to the bathroom.
The frequency of how often you take your child to the bathroom really depends on your child. If your child is extremely resistant to sitting on the toilet, you might want to take them more frequently to increase the amount of teaching opportunities.
Building Tolerance and Success
In the early stages of toilet training, we cannot expect your child to start using the toilet right away. Instead, provide praise to your child for just tolerating sitting on the toilet.
Make the Toilet Reinforcing
Pair the toilet with something reinforcing – for example, allow your child to watch a special video or give them a special treat that they only receive when sitting on the potty.
Fade Out Reinforcement
As the toilet training process progresses and your child continues to tolerate sitting on the toilet, start to fade out the reinforcement of the video or treat.
Since we already know that they can tolerate sitting on the toilet, we want to start increasing the response requirement for earning the video or treat. This means that we will start only giving the child the video or treat AFTER they go to the bathroom.
Key Success Factors
Make sure instructions are clear and concise – whether you want your child to sit on the toilet or stand, make sure it’s clear to them what your expectations are.
Be Consistent
This is the most important step! If you are not consistent, the child will never get into the routine of using the toilet. Make sure to stick to the schedule and keep the expectations consistent in order to best teach your child how to independently use the toilet.
Remember: Every Child is Different
It’s important to remember that toilet training is not a “one size fits all” type of process. Each child is different, and it will take various lengths of time and lots of trial and error to find what’s right for your child. Remember, don’t give up just because it’s not working right away. Toilet training takes time and patience. It’s best to consult with your doctor and team members when going through the toilet training process.
You can book a free consultation today and receive personalized, clinician-led guidance to support your child’s journey.
