Tag: toilet training

The Paperback Version of “The Practical Guide to Toilet Training Your Child with Low Muscle Tone”, Second Edition, is Finally Here!

  Low muscle tone is a symptom that makes potty training harder than anyone expects. Even experienced therapists don’t anticipate all of the challenges that arise. My most popular blog post is, and has always been, Why Low Muscle Tone Creates More Toilet Training Struggles for Toddlers (and Parents!)  .  There are good reasons for…… Continue reading The Paperback Version of “The Practical Guide to Toilet Training Your Child with Low Muscle Tone”, Second Edition, is Finally Here!

Angelman Syndrome and Toilet Training: Start Early with Targeted Pre-Training!!

Children with Angelman Syndrome routinely have daunting challenges around toilet training, with very good reason.  Significant delays in mobility, language, and fine motor control are common.  Hardly anyone is thinking about toilet training when a child can’t stand independently and uses PECS for two desired objects.  There are a lot of issues between their current…… Continue reading Angelman Syndrome and Toilet Training: Start Early with Targeted Pre-Training!!

Are You Potty Training TOO LATE?

There is a simple answer:  you train when you train, and not a minute before that. But you can train too late, and there are hidden consequences that should no longer remain hidden. In the current tide of emotions on social media, there is plenty of mom-shaming and blaming going around. Just stop all of…… Continue reading Are You Potty Training TOO LATE?

Can Adaptive Equipment Be Dangerous to a Child?

That was a trick question:  of course it can.  The wrong adaptive equipment can create hazards as well as bad habits that are hard to break.  And it happens all the time now, as parents and patients decide that they know exactly what is needed.  It also happens when they aren’t provided with access to…… Continue reading Can Adaptive Equipment Be Dangerous to a Child?

Can Your Autistic Child use the Potty in a Public Place Yet?

What does it take to get a child with autism to completely independently, and calmly, use the toilet in a public place?   Solid skills at home, comfort with being in an unfamiliar bathroom, and no option of using a Pull-Up. Get your child so good at using the bathroom at home that they could…… Continue reading Can Your Autistic Child use the Potty in a Public Place Yet?

Make Life Easier: The Special Needs Toileting Handout Pack is Finally Here!

After writing The Practical Guide to Toilet Training the Autistic Child  I got a lot of feedback on how great the book was.  And how long.  It seems that some professionals and a lot of parents are so crushed for time that they wanted a “Cliff Notes” version (showing my age, I guess…!)  So I decided…… Continue reading Make Life Easier: The Special Needs Toileting Handout Pack is Finally Here!

How Early is TOO EARLY to Potty Train?

I have been asked this question twice by friends in the month since my new book, The Practical Guide to Toilet Training the Autistic Child:  Sensory-Motor Secrets to Success, came out. My answer hasn’t changed, but my awareness of how other people view readiness has. The short answer:  You can train successfully much earlier than…… Continue reading How Early is TOO EARLY to Potty Train?

The Practical Guide to Toilet Training the Autistic Child: From Diapering Differently to Using Public Facilities

  Toilet Training a child with autism is not easy. It just got easier.   The Practical Guide to Toilet Training the Autistic Child:  Sensory-Motor Secrets for Success is finally done!  I wanted to share everything I have learned as a pediatric occupational therapist for over 25 years.  And everything I have learned from families…… Continue reading The Practical Guide to Toilet Training the Autistic Child: From Diapering Differently to Using Public Facilities

Why Does Autism Create so Many Toilet Training Struggles for Kids (and Their Exhausted Parents)?

It isn’t that parents and professionals think potty training an autistic child will be easy.  They know it could be a challenge and it could take longer than training a neurotypical child.  They simply don’t expect it to be so consistently tough and to have so many unexpected twists and turns. Some of them can…… Continue reading Why Does Autism Create so Many Toilet Training Struggles for Kids (and Their Exhausted Parents)?

Why Hydration is Your Superpower When Potty Training an Autistic Child

Hydration…a fancy name for drinking enough water. It could be the key to successfully potty training an autistic child. Why?  Because if nothing much is going in, or nothing healthy is going in, nothing good will come out. A child who has a history of struggling to nurse or feed from a bottle often turns…… Continue reading Why Hydration is Your Superpower When Potty Training an Autistic Child

How To Decide Between “Boot Camp” and Gradual Potty Training

  Whether or not you are training a special needs child or a neurotypical child, you will have to think about exactly which methods you will be using.  The two general categories for training strategies are the “boot camp”, in which the child spends days living near the potty, focusing on toileting, and the gradual…… Continue reading How To Decide Between “Boot Camp” and Gradual Potty Training

Use Dry Runs With Autistic Kids During Potty Training (Wait; What’s a Dry Run?)

    I finished writing “The Practical Guide To Toilet Training The Autistic Child:  Sensory-Motor Secrets For Success”.  It was a labor of love, and a lot of work.  I got to the chapter on safety and balance, and decided that I couldn’t wait until it is published to put out another post on why “dry…… Continue reading Use Dry Runs With Autistic Kids During Potty Training (Wait; What’s a Dry Run?)

How to Pick The Best Toilet Paper For Potty Training

Before I wrote my first book, “The Practical Guide To Toilet Training Your Child With Low Muscle Tone”, I took out every book on potty training my regional library system would share with me.  While I did determine that the best book for neurotypical kids was “Oh Crap Potty Training”, I didn’t see a lot mentioned…… Continue reading How to Pick The Best Toilet Paper For Potty Training

Try This Simple Strategy When Your Child Refuses To Use The Toilet

I get a few calls every year from parents who have a neurotypical child between 4 and 5 that has said, very clearly, in words, that they refuse to use the toilet.  Often, it is pooping in the potty, not peeing.  Hesitancy is one thing.  Adamant refusal in words, clear words, is another thing.  The…… Continue reading Try This Simple Strategy When Your Child Refuses To Use The Toilet

Potty Training Your Child With CP

Author’s note:  These strategies will be most successful for children with a cognitive age of at least 36 months, and receptive language skills of at least 30 months. Children with severe quadriplegic CP most likely will always need physical assistance for toileting, even if they can direct their caregiver’s actions.  That will be another blog…… Continue reading Potty Training Your Child With CP

When Your Child Refuses To “Go Potty”(but is fully trained)

“I don’t need to” “I won’t” “You can’t make me” or the tried-and-true response:  ignoring you. When a child doesn’t respond to your instruction to use the toilet, and it is clearly evident that they need to (crossing legs, holding their penis, wiggling madly, etc.) you know that there are only a few explanations:  The…… Continue reading When Your Child Refuses To “Go Potty”(but is fully trained)

Diaper Sticker Shock? Train ‘Em Now!

The pandemic has created gaps in consumer staples and rising prices for everyday items.  One of those staples is…diapers!  Well, when things get harder, it is time to think out of the (diaper) box. If your child is over 18 months of age and has typical motor and cognitive development, there is a fair chance…… Continue reading Diaper Sticker Shock? Train ‘Em Now!

Is Your Child With Low Tone “Too Busy” to Make it to the Potty?

Since writing my first e-book, The Practical Guide to Toilet Training Your Child With Low Muscle Tone, I have fielded a ton of questions about the later stages of potty training.  One stumbling block for most children appears to be “potty fatigue”.  They lose the early excitement of mastery, and they get wrapped up in…… Continue reading Is Your Child With Low Tone “Too Busy” to Make it to the Potty?

Potty Training in the COVID-19 Age

  Parents are staying home with their toddlers and preschoolers now.  All day.  While this can be a challenge, it can also be the right time to do potty training. Here’s how to make it work when you want to teach your toddler how to “make” in the potty: You don’t have to wait for…… Continue reading Potty Training in the COVID-19 Age

Should You Install a Child-Sized Potty for Your Special Needs Child?

I know that some of you don’t even realize that such a thing exists:  a toilet sized for preschoolers and kindergarteners!  Well, you won’t find it in Lowe’s or Home Depot on the showroom floor, but you can buy them online, and it is an option to consider.  Here are the reasons you might put…… Continue reading Should You Install a Child-Sized Potty for Your Special Needs Child?

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