Re: Potty Training- To train or not to train?

[Guest guest]

We tried several different ways to potty train (including a

horrendous ABA approach that involved sitting on the pot for 20 mins

at a time... that ended fast) and nothing worked. My son just needed

to get to that point on his own time. It happened.

It stinks when they are able to take off diapers but won't go in the

toilet. I remember it well.

My son was 4 before he was urine trained and nearly 6 before he was

poop trained. Both happened literally over-night. Same with

staying dry at night. For 6 years he was soaked every morning

regardless of how much or little he drank in the evening or if we

woke him before we went to bed to take a final pee. Then, it

stopped. He awoke one morning completely dry and has never had an

accident (6 months ago).

Staying dry until morning coincided with dumping lead with oral

DMSA. The other parts of training just happened as he developed.

I'm sure there are parents who have suggestions or things that worked

for them. Making it fun was key at our home. It seemed the more we

pushed it, the farther away we got.

Pam

>

> My little sweetie just turned 4 and we have been chelating for a

few

> months, 3 days on 4 days off. I have no idea how to approach potty

> training. She has constant constipation, she goes every 3 or 4

days,

> and she doesn't dress herself or remove her own clothing, except

for

> diapers which she takes off herself.

> She is 4 though. Should I wait a while? What can I do to teach her?

> TIA!

>

> http://autismshare.com

>

[Guest guest]

Every child is different but for my son, who just turned 5, he

became potty trained right around 4 1/2. We had been chelating with

TD-DMPS for about a month and he had been able to keep dry

overnight, so we gave it a try. (I had tried to potty train him in

the past a few times, but it was obvious he was not ready - he peed

in his underwear even though I had just took him to the potty,

pooped, etc.). For him we skipped the little potty and went right

to the big potty for 2 reasons, 1) he didn't like to sit on the

little one and since no one else sat on it he didn't know what it

was for and 2) with #1 in mind, we decided it's easier to teach it

righ the first time anyhow. You can buy a little toilet seat that

fits over the big one but for my son, he did better having his

bottom sink in a little bit (good for poops, but not good if she'

afraid of falling in).

The first thing I would look for is if she is able to stay dry all

night. If so, put her on the potty first thing in the morning (when

she'll have to go the most). We used " ready, set, go " as a prompt

of sorts. I had his brother model and I modeled, but it was really

by doing it himself that taught him. Of course make a big deal out

of it in a way appropriate for her. Then after getting this going

for a while (few days) try out underwear (expect accidents). My son

loves Disney Cars, so I got him those. Take her to the potty in

decent intervals (not too often if she can hold her pee for a

while). When she has an accident, take her to the potty and see if

she'll get a little bit more out. We also caught him just starting

to pee and wisked him off to the bathroom to finish in the toilet.

As far as poop, we took the poop in his diaper (and in his underwear

a few times) and put it in the potty to show him where it goes.

We'd have him come with us to drop it in the potty. He would flush

and we'd say, " look, poopy goes in the potty! " and " Good job! " I

think the most important thing though is to wait until they are

ready. If that day doesn't come, when she is older, you'll have to

probably try a more explicit approach, but I would give this a try

first.

Good luck!

> >

> > My little sweetie just turned 4 and we have been chelating for a

> few

> > months, 3 days on 4 days off. I have no idea how to approach

potty

> > training. She has constant constipation, she goes every 3 or 4

> days,

> > and she doesn't dress herself or remove her own clothing, except

> for

> > diapers which she takes off herself.

> > She is 4 though. Should I wait a while? What can I do to teach

her?

> > TIA!

> >

> > http://autismshare.com

> >

>

[Guest guest]

>

> My little sweetie just turned 4 and we have been chelating for a few

> months, 3 days on 4 days off. I have no idea how to approach potty

> training.

My son trained himself to pee in the potty six hours after his first

Valtrex dose (he was just over 4). We couldn't stay the course with

the Valtrex because of the yeast, but it did accomplish that for us.

When my son was 4 1/2, I forgot his pull ups at the beach and that was

the last of them, never a wet bed. I understand that for many kids,

magnesium deficiency can lead to bed wetting.

My son didn't need much training to learn to poop on the potty (he was

almost 5 when this happened); he just needed his gut to be in better

shape than it had been.

> She has constant constipation, she goes every 3 or 4 days,

Have you had her thyroid checked? If so, post the results and we

might be able to help see if things are actually working. Low thyroid

was a big cause of my son's chronic constipation. If not, ask your

doctor to run TSH, Free T3 and Free T4.

> and she doesn't dress herself or remove her own clothing, except for

> diapers which she takes off herself.

> She is 4 though. Should I wait a while? What can I do to teach her?

Get her body in decent shape and it should pretty much happen on its

own (with the right encouragement).

> TIA!

>

> http://autismshare.com

>

[Guest guest]

,

I had this same issue with my son at 3.5 years. First get the

constipation dealt with or it will be almost impossible to train her.

For us, we had to begin chelation then my son pretty much took over

and began using the toilet and dressing himself. Before that any

attempts we made were impossible. He screamed and cried as though it

were torture to sit on the toilet.

The things that helped us were using a potty chair, not the regular

toilet. Letting him sit on when he wanted to even in his clothes. The

goal was not to do anything on it, but just to sit, read books etc.

After a while it became more comfortable for him to sit on it in just

a pull up while we read or played. Eventually, sitting naked.

Continuing to talk about going potty and praising any attempts at it.

We also got potty movies from the libary to watch. We took him in when

dad went in to see how big poeple go pee. In your case, she would go

with you. We continued to talk about how diapers were running out and

that they didn't make them in his size now that he was bigger. We got

underwear and just dealt with him wetting them all the time. He didn't

care to be wet, this helped motivate him to pee on the potty chair.

Sometimes if they are sitting to read with you and it happens..

unplanned, it's a great time to reinforce it, with lots of praise. We

used to do the " pee-pee dance " The whole family clapping and praising,

yeah..you did it! It's hard, but stick with it. Don't expect her to

train in a few days like other kids. It may take a lot longer. We

began this at 18 months. Sitting on the potty chair. He did his first

pee in the potty at maybe 2. He was pee trained for a few weeks around

2 and half but then regressed fully.

Later on at age 3.5 we learned that he was metal toxic. And after

beginning chelation, he got up one morning and went into the bathroom

and peed. All by himself. It will come, I know how frusturating it can

be. Just be patient with her.

>

> My little sweetie just turned 4 and we have been chelating for a few

> months, 3 days on 4 days off. I have no idea how to approach potty

> training. She has constant constipation, she goes every 3 or 4 days,

> and she doesn't dress herself or remove her own clothing, except for

> diapers which she takes off herself.

> She is 4 though. Should I wait a while? What can I do to teach her?

> TIA!

>

> http://autismshare.com

>

[Guest guest]

>

> My little sweetie just turned 4 and we have been chelating for a few

> months, 3 days on 4 days off. I have no idea how to approach potty

> training.

Two of my kids did not potty train until they were age 6. I have

ideas here

http://www.danasview.net/parent2.htm#potty

>> She has constant constipation,

Magnesium and yeast control were effective here. More info and ideas here

http://www.danasview.net/constip.htm

Dana

[Guest guest]

,

We did something similar for my apraxic and sensory sensitive son.

We started right before he was 3 with sitting on the potty fully

clothed (for as long as it took to read a story), then

progressed to pulling down pants and sitting naked, etc. 8 months

later he is day trained for pee (dry for 2 weeks now), but we still

aren't fully trained for poop yet. I've had to really be patient.

We did a reward system (a sticker each time he complied, 5 stickers

and he got to pick a toy car out of a car) that did help a lot in the

beginning. I was ecstatic because he finally pooped in the potty

last week, but we haven't been able to duplicate that effort again.

We're just plugging away at it.

(Max's Mom)

> >

> > My little sweetie just turned 4 and we have been chelating for a

few

> > months, 3 days on 4 days off. I have no idea how to approach

potty

> > training. She has constant constipation, she goes every 3 or 4

days,

> > and she doesn't dress herself or remove her own clothing, except

for

> > diapers which she takes off herself.

> > She is 4 though. Should I wait a while? What can I do to teach

her?

> > TIA!

> >

> > http://autismshare.com

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all the great ideas! I am going to start trying some of

them today.

> > >

> > > My little sweetie just turned 4 and we have been chelating for

a

> few

> > > months, 3 days on 4 days off. I have no idea how to approach

> potty

> > > training. She has constant constipation, she goes every 3 or 4

> days,

> > > and she doesn't dress herself or remove her own clothing,

except

> for

> > > diapers which she takes off herself.

> > > She is 4 though. Should I wait a while? What can I do to teach

> her?

> > > TIA!

> > >

> > > http://autismshare.com

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I just potty trained my just turned 4 year old PDD son with an ABA

technique (probably the " horrendous " one Pam was referring to) and it

only took two days and was the best thing I have ever done. He is now

fully pee and poop trained. Yes, he had to sit on the toilet for 20

minutes until he peed but if you push fluids it doesn't take long

before they are peeing and so they don't have to sit that long. I also

had books and other things to keep him occupied. Vicki

>

> My little sweetie just turned 4 and we have been chelating for a few

> months, 3 days on 4 days off. I have no idea how to approach potty

> training. She has constant constipation, she goes every 3 or 4 days,

> and she doesn't dress herself or remove her own clothing, except for

> diapers which she takes off herself.

> She is 4 though. Should I wait a while? What can I do to teach her?

> TIA!

>

> http://autismshare.com

>