Potty Training ASD non verbal child

[lusterleaf]

Anyone here have success in potty training a non verbal ASD child? My son turned 3 in August, he is not verbal and has poor receptive communication. The way in which he communicates with us is he leads us by the hand to something if he wants something most of the time or if he is hungry or thirsty for example, he will open the refrigerator door, or sit down at the kitchen table to eat. I did buy a PECS book for him but for some reason he has no interest in using it, although I do know they work with PECS at his school (he attends a special needs pre-school). He is still in diapers and we will put him on the toilet after his bath each night just to get him used to it but in order for him to sit and stay there we have to give him his tablet to watch videos, and then he gets bored after 5 minutes and gets off (most of the time without going). I really don't know how I am going to train him. I am off from work the week between Christmas and New Years so I was going to use that time to just keep him home and take him to the toilet every 15 minutes but I'm thinking he is going to put up a big struggle and not get the concept... or not even have a way of communicating to me that he has to go.

Anyway if you could please share whatever has worked for you, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[willow25]

My daughter is verbal, but was highly resistant to toilet training, firstly I never pushed her if it was distressing because she is very stubborn ! She got out of nappies just before her fourth birthday which apparently is quite early for asd kids, so don't worry about his age. Poos have continued to be tricky, although she is making progress all the time, but she is far more consistent when naked - that's not very useful for you at this time of the year ! And I tried social stories, in particular ' Poo goes to pooland' she loved it, I was given a photocopy of it, but theres a video on YouTube.
I have to admit that I have been rewarding her with little toys - I stock up at poundland and it has definitely helped, I kind of waited till I thought she was ready and although its been quite a long journey, she is just about there now !

 

[Reid]

My son was non verbal when I toilet trained him at 3 years old. I waited till summer so that he could run round with just a top on and we kept the potty close to hand so that when he did pee I could get the potty under him. I also took him to the toilet when I went as he was non verbal showing him things was far better than trying to tell him. At this point he was pulling his pull ups off after he'd wet so he was becoming aware of toileting. It did take a while for him to accept it and I took a very relaxed approach which I think is extremely important for non verbal children. Once he was comfortable with that we moved on to no 2s which I hr would only do when I put a pull up on him again showing him and yes not very pleasant but it worked emptying his pull up into the potty to show him where it went. He actually took to this pretty fast and each time I would take him into the toilet to empty his potty into the toilet so he could see where it went after and I continued to let him come in with myself and his dad. Then 1 day I was walking into the hall and I seen him standing at the toilet so I kept out the way and watched he used the toilet all by himself he done the same with his number 2s. Even now he doesn't tell me he needs the toilet he just go's so when we're out I have to look out for his body language he'll pull at the top of his bottoms.
Good luck xx

 

[sethsmummy]

no real advice hun apart from weve only this year toilet trained our ASD son at 5 years old. he was non verbal till 4.5 years old x

 

[kealz]

No advice to add I'm afraid but thanks for the thread. My son is 3, non verbal and not potty trained yet so found reading this helpful. I like the idea of putting the nappy contents in the potty/toilet, well, not like it but you know what I mean. And I'm intrigued about poo goes to pooland!

 

[Reid]

No advice to add I'm afraid but thanks for the thread. My son is 3, non verbal and not potty trained yet so found reading this helpful. I like the idea of putting the nappy contents in the potty/toilet, well, not like it but you know what I mean. And I'm intrigued about poo goes to pooland!

I really found it the best way you'll know yourself as a mother of a non verbal child that the best way for them to learn is to model the behaviour and show them lol we also added a silly song my son loves singing and he's now learning at lot of words and there meanings from singing nursery rhymes xx
He has a few pecs cards at the time he wasn't interested in them but you can get the with pictures of pottys and toilets if you think it's something you're son would do well with. My wee 1s starting to show bit more interest in them now a year or so after 1st having them at home but his nursery work with these on a daily basis so I think that's helped him with he pecs xx