Author: Madhura Manerikar | September 14th, 2021
I was struggling with my 6-year-old for potty training. I had tried absolutely everything! I was at a loss. He would only defecate when he wore a nappy, or else days would pass by and he wouldn’t defecate. It was a real worry.
I didn’t want him to have constipation problems, so I allowed him to wear a nappy just before sleeping at night for him to defecate then give a fresh one to sleep in so that there were no accidents at night. Then I realised that he would now wait till the end of that day to defecate and that had become his routine. He also eventually stopped using the toilet in the morning which he had learnt to use independently. He was becoming more dependant on the nappy. I was already struggling with his defecation and I didn’t want something else to add to his morning toilet time, so I took a leap and stopped nappies at night completely. No nappy AT ALL!
Now when he understood that he is not getting to wear a nappy, he started defecting in his pants, which he hated, and would now run to the toilet as soon as he felt the pressure. I don’t mind the extra washing, as long as he isn’t using a nappy. He is now getting quicker at getting to the toilet.
For the delayed defecation, I use tricks like encouraging him to drink warm water, make him sit on the pot for longer and the visual aid of a social story which I learnt during a ‘Visual Supports’ Sethu workshop. It is a testing journey but don’t give up. This is an important skill for any ASD child and mom to master.
Mother of a 6-year-old child with Autism
MADHURA MANERIKAR Special Educator