Toilet Training Children With Additional Needs?

Charmaine Champ Author

There can be many obstacles to toilet training. Within this blog we share where to start with our children with additional needs.

Toileting is often seen as a milestone. As parents, carers or professionals we worry when a child gets older and doesn't follow the typical toileting development. 

Being successful with toileting is often seen as an "age" milestone, with the added expectations of:

• Communicating the need to "use" the toilet
• Accessing the toileting when needed
• And passing wee and poos in the toilet in the day time

When looking to start or progress with toileting, we need to think less about age and more about "timing"!

When we review our perspective on Toileting and focus on the "right time" for our individual children, we really can progress "and" be successful with toileting. 

Where do we start in helping our children with additional needs? 

We can start by identifying what obstacles may be preventing our children from progressing with toileting.

Obstacle: Recognising poo signals

What do we mean by "recognising signals"? 

Poo: This means when a poo arrives in the rectum, Type 4 according to the Bristol Stool Chart, either three times a day or three times a week, stretch receptors, muscles, let our children know the poo is present. Our children learn over time to react to this sensation and associate this feeling with using the toilet. 

When our children are experiencing a poo difficulty, Type 4 poos are not being passed either three times a day or three times a week. This means our children are unable to react to the sensation, or feeling. When our children are unable to respond and react to poo sensations, poos can build up within the rectum and large bowel. This can impact not just our childrens poo signals, but there ability to know "when" they need to poo as well as impacting other areas within the body. 

We can help our children with additional needs to progress with toileting, by:

• Knowing the type of poo our children pass and their Poo Pattern. Click on our "Do you know your child's poo type?" Blog post for further information here: Blog Post 
• Following the FREE Download: Where to start in getting the PEE & Poo in the loo!

Obstacle: Understanding the toileting process

What do we mean by "understanding the toileting process"?

Toileting is a skill, something that our children "learn". When we learn, we need to process information in "different" ways, this includes listening to what needs to be carried out, observing and practically experiencing the process. Learning a new skill does not occur instantly, it takes place following a persistent and consistent approach, where ever our children may be. 

Visual aids, pictures, of the toileting routine, share and confirm "what" to do and "how" to do it!

We can help our children with additional needs to progress with toileting, by:

• Introducing visual aids, confirming step by step "what" to do when entering the toilet area, sitting on the toilet, "how" to pass a wee and poo and what to do afterwards. Click onto the Clear Steps Shop for further information about the Toilet Training Tool Kit for Children with additional needs, designed to provide everything needed to support a child in being successful with toileting. Click here for further information: Clear Steps Consultancy Shop

How can Clear Steps Consultancy help your child with additional needs, to progress with toileting?

Charmaine, at Clear Steps Consultancy supports children with and without a diagnosis, additional needs, their families, schools, organisations, charities and professionals in progressing and being successful with Toileting, Sleeping and Understanding Behaviour.  Support available to help children with additional needs and their toileting, is as individual as the children, families and schools themselves, from 14 day toileting support challenges, online group support, ongoing support, one to one Parenting Support Packages to Comprehensive assessments.

Charmaine, supports families step by step through the toileting journey within How to get the PEE and Poo in the loo! An online support group helping children and young people from eighteen months old through to twenty five years, in being able to progress with toileting. Are you ready to start your toileting journey? Or are you supporting a child or family who are looking to start their toileting journey, but would like support? Then this is the online, ongoing support option for you and them! Click here: How to get the PEE & Poo in the loo! (newzenler.com)

Help and support is available!

Start helping your child with additional needs in progressing with their toileting today! 

Categories: : children with additional needs, Toileting