by Sara | Jun 2, 2019 | Autism, Life skills
Activity Ideas to work on Toilet Training
Toilet Training can be challenging for some with autism. I have tried to put together some activity ideas for younger and older children to help teach toileting skills.
* This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.
Why do children with autism have difficulties with toilet training?
- Children with autism may simply need more time to learn a new skill.
- They may have difficulty breaking established habits and routines. They have always used a diaper, and they may not understand the reason why they don’t need to use it anymore.
- They may have difficulty understanding the feeling of when they need to use the bathroom. From an occupational therapy standpoint, they may not have inner body sensory awareness also called interoception.
- They may have difficulty communicating to you that they need to use the bathroom.
- They may have developed anxiety around toileting since this is a new skill.
- They may have sensory difficulties with using the bathroom with loud sounds such as flushing the toilet or even the smells of using the bathroom.
These are just some ideas or reasons why children with autism may be having a hard time with learning toilet training. There could be other reasons as well.
If you are working with a child with autism, try to keep these considerations in mind and try to figure out what might be one area that they are having a hard time with from listed above.
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Activity ideas to help prepare them for Toilet Training
- Read books about toilet training that are child focused.
- As parents and teachers find other books or resources to help you learn more about toilet training.
- Watch videos about toilet training
- Listen to songs about toilet training
- Talk about what it feels like when you need to use the toilet, the process of toileting, why you need to use the toilet, the timing of when you need to go, what it feels like when your not done going, what it feels like when you are done going, and the importance of being clean after using the bathroom.
- Create a social story to talk about the process of going to the bathroom
Activity ideas to help with sensory processing difficulties with toilet training
- Check out our FREE Personal Hygiene Sensory Strategies Toolkit by clicking the link!
- Try having someone else wipe your bottom for you with toilet paper to get used to the feeling
- Try using Wet Wipes if you don’t like the feeling of toilet paper
- Try wearing latex gloves or use a toilet buddy to help with wiping your bottom
- Talk to your doctor if you are struggling with constipation so they can help you
- Try sitting on the toilet with something you enjoy such as an iPad or game to try to relax you
- Have something under your feet to help with pushing.
- Check out the Squatty Potty on Amazon to help with positioning on the toilet. I personally have used this item and have felt it helped with bowel movements.
- Play music or something relaxing while going to the bathroom
- If the smell bothers you use aromas in the bathroom that you like such as a spray or essential oils.
- Try using essential oil smells rubbed under their nose to help ease the smell.
- Have scented spray available for them to spray during that time.
- Use something to close off your nose such as a nose plug and breathe through your mouth
Using Visuals to help with teaching
Check out these FREE Resources!
Breaking the skill into manageable parts using task analysis
- Sign up below to grab a copy of our task analysis charts to help with personal hygiene cares!
Community Outing Ideas to help with Toilet Training
- When going on errands to get toileting supplies to let the child help pick out the products. Let them help pick out toilet paper or wipes to let them feel more a part of the process.
- If the child has a hard time going into the store try using online order and pickup. We personally love using Walmart Grocery to order online and they bring it right out to our car!
- Use this link to get 10 dollars off your first order on Walmart Grocery!
One Last Thought
- As the parent or teacher keep in mind that this is a new skill and you both may start to feel overwhelmed.
- Try to stay positive and patient through this process. It will take some time to develop strategies that will work for your child.
- Please let me know in the comments below if there are other activity ideas I should mention that worked well for you!
by Sara | Jun 2, 2019 | Autism, Life skills
Best Tips to Help with Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism
Toilet training for individuals with autism is an important issue we need to address to help them with functional life skills. They may need extra time to learn this skill or be taught using different methods to help them with this skill.
When working as an occupational therapist, I would get so many questions about toilet training and how to help their child learn how to use the toilet independently. To be honest, I was also overwhelmed by these questions and I wasn’t always sure what to do. I had never actually toilet trained anyone. My son is too young to start this process and my mom helped my brother with this skill. This can be a big and scary skill for some children and they may need extra time to learn how to do it. I have done some of my own research over the years and these are some of the tips that I have come up with that have been successful for some children.
I also want you to keep in mind, these are tips and strategies that may be helpful for some. If you are looking for more professional advice, reach out to your medical doctor and professionals for additional support in this area.
* This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.
Why do children with autism have difficulties with toilet training?
- Children with autism may simply need more time to learn a new skill.
- They may have difficulty breaking established habits and routines. They have always used a diaper, and they may not understand the reason why they don’t need to use it anymore.
- They may have difficulty understanding the feeling of when they need to use the bathroom. From an occupational therapy standpoint, they may not have inner body sensory awareness also called interoception.
- They may have difficulty communicating to you that they need to use the bathroom.
- They may have developed anxiety around toileting since this is a new skill.
- They may have sensory difficulties with using the bathroom with loud sounds such as flushing the toilet or even the smells of using the bathroom.
These are just some ideas or reasons why children with autism may be having a hard time with learning toilet training. There could be other reasons as well.
If you are working with a child with autism, try to keep these considerations in mind and try to figure out what might be one area that they are having a hard time with from listed above.
Join our Life Skills Summer Email Series!
Best Tips to Help with Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism
Below are some of the best tips that I have come across or learned about to help teach toilet training for individuals with autism.
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Tip 1: Do they understand when they need to use the restroom?
- Can the child identify when they need to go to the restroom?
- Can they communicate with you that they need to use the restroom?
- This would be the first step when identifying if they are ready to start toilet training with you.
- Check out this free developmental checklist from the Functional Skills for Kids Group!
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Tip 2: Use specific directions the child will understand and give one direction at a time.
- When teaching the steps for toileting, it is important to use specific directions when teaching each step. This will help make the directions more clear for the child.
- Also only give one direction at a time and see if they understand the direction by having them repeat it back to you or having them show you the direction.
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Tip 3: Try using Visuals to help teach the steps
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Tip 4: You could try watching videos or reading books about toileting.
- Do they have a favorite TV show they like to watch such a sesame street or Daniel Tiger? Do they have characters they like to watch on YouTube? Do they like to listen to music to learn steps? See if they have created a video talking about toilet training.
- Here are some videos I found on YouTube about Toilet Training:
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Tip 5: Try using Social Stories to talk about the new routine and to show visuals of the steps involved in the process.
- Social Stories can be a great way to help teach the steps involved in the routine and to talk about why we do each step.
- Try making your own social story or use one of ours that we have created.
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Tip 6: Try using words such as “first then” to communicate the steps of the process.
- Use words that help make the process clear to the child. Using the words First Then when explaining the steps could help the child understand the sequencing of the steps.
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Tip 7: Try using wet wipes instead of toilet paper when wiping to help with sensory aspects when wiping.
- Using Wet Wipes instead of toilet paper can help ease with the wiping process as it is a smoother feeling.
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Tip 8: Try modeling and demonstrating how to complete certain steps when teaching.
- Showing the child or individual how to complete a step may be more beneficial than just telling or showing them a picture.
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Tip 9: Try propping feet up on a step stool or wastebasket when sitting on the toilet to help with sitting position when on the toilet.
- When the child or individual is sitting on the toilet, they may need or want their feet supported if they cannot touch the ground. Additionally getting feet up and supported may help get them in a better position on the toilet to use the restroom, especially for a bowel movement.
- Check out the Squatty Potty on Amazon to help with positioning on the toilet. I personally have used this item and have felt it helped with bowel movements.
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Tip 10: Set up the bathroom environment with sensory strategies to help with success.
- Think about the noises in the bathroom:
- does flushing upset them?
- does the sound of running water upset them?
- Try over the ear headphones to wear during times when noises affect them.
- Think about the smells in the bathroom. Do they have a hard time when having a bowel movement?
- Try using essential oil smells rubbed under their nose to help ease the smell.
- Have scented spray available for them to spray during that time.
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Tip 11: Try using a visual timer or Ipad app to help with staying on the toilet for a certain amount of time.
- Try using a visual timer to help show an amount of time to help the child stay on the toilet for a longer duration to try and go.
- You could use a favorite Ipad game or app that the child enjoys playing to help keep them engaged long enough to sit on the toilet for a long enough duration to actually use the toilet.
Additional Resources
Below are additional resources I have come across for toilet training from other websites and blogs that I think may be helpful for you!
Check out our Toileting Hygiene Products on Teachers Pay Teachers!
Check out our blog post filled with real-life activity ideas to help with toilet training!
Websites
Getting Kids Ready for Toileting and Toilet Training Blog Posts from the Functional Skills for Kids Team:
- Tips & Tricks for Teaching Hand Washing – Growing Hands On Kids
- The Secret to Lower Body Dressing – The Inspired Treehouse
- Toys to Help With Getting Dressed – The OT Toolbox
- Morning Routine Checklists – Your Kids OT
- How to Modify Your Child’s Dressing Routine – Miss Jaime OT
Join our Life Skills Summer Email Series!
The Last Thing You Need to Know about Toilet Training
- Understand that this is a process and they are learning a new skill. This will take time and patience for everyone involved.
- Find your child’s strengths and work with those strengths to help teach them the skills for toileting.
- I would love to know if any of these tips have helped you or if you would have any other tips you could add to the list in the comments below!
by Sara | Jul 1, 2018 | Autism
Kaylene from Autistic Mama shares her insights and expertise with us today about her expereince with meeting her son’s occupational therapist.
The first time I met my son’s occupational therapist, my life changed.
During his evaluation, he happily played in the kinetic sand box while his therapist and I chatted about his behaviors, his habits, and even his birth history.
“He’s not a bad kid… He’s not a brat… I swear, there’s just something going on… He doesn’t understand… It’s like he can’t handle things like other kids can…”
I explained this to her, like I’d been explaining to therapists, pediatricians, and evaluators for years… But no one believed me. Everyone said I should just “make him” eat and “make him” talk.
“Kaylene”, she said… “Your son is not a bad kid. He doesn’t have control over this. There’s something in his brain that means he perceives the world differently… This isn’t his fault, and this isn’t your fault.”
Let me tell you, I sobbed. And sobbed. And sobbed some more.
For the first time ever, someone believed me. Someone believed that my son was good. Someone knew this wasn’t his fault.
That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship… One that helped me learn the ins and outs of my son’s autism diagnosis, and eventually even helped me learn about my own autism as a twenty-something mother.
But out of all of the conversations, all of the therapy sessions, and all of the knowledge shared, there was one lesson from our OT that changed our outlook and our lives.
*This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
One Lesson From Our OT That Changed Our Outlook and Our Lives
I Didn’t Want an Autism Diagnosis
See, I knew there was something going on with my son.
He had extreme language delays, his sensory needs were off the charts, and he was severely lacking in social skills.
But initially? I didn’t want an autism diagnosis.
When his therapists brought it up, I actually told them I’d rather not see the neurodevelopmental pediatrician they mentioned because I didn’t want him diagnosed officially.
Why? It wasn’t because I didn’t want him to be autistic. We were already convinced he was.
I didn’t want the autism diagnosis to follow him and change the way people see him.
And more than that… I didn’t want the goals and the progress we’d been making so far in therapy to just go away.
“Autism is DE-Scriptive, Not PRE-Scriptive”
Our OT said one powerful thing to me, that changed everything.
“Autism is DE-scrptive, not PRE-scriptive”
She told me, an autism diagnosis tells us more about how his brain works and how we can best help him.
It tells us more about where he’s at now.
You know what it won’t tell us? What he’ll do in the future.
Some people with autism drive, others don’t. Some don’t speak verbally, others are public speakers.
An autism diagnosis describes him, it doesn’t prescribe his future.
Changing My Outlook on Autism
Immediately, her explanation changed my outlook on autism.
It wasn’t something to avoid or be feared, but something that could be used to better understand and help my son.
And even more than that… Autism became something to be embraced.
It wasn’t this big scary monster that stole my child. It was a part of who he always had been.
My son was exactly the same child before and after the autism diagnosis.
Autism simply gave us a word to describe who he is, communicate his needs more clearly, and get the support that he needs.
My son’s autism diagnosis gave us a community of people like him. It has given us such a huge part of our identity, and a way to advocate for ourselves.
And that is something to be embraced. To be celebrated.
But how do you make that vital shift? How do you stop seeing autism as a negative thing and start actually embracing all that autism means for your child’s life?
In my book, Embracing Autism, I cover the keys to understanding, accepting, and embracing your child’s autism diagnosis… One step at a time.
With chapters covering things like understanding and handling meltdowns, finding your autism tribe, and focusing on the positives, plus over 10 Autistic Advocate Highlights showing you exactly what type of a future is possible for your autistic child, Embracing Autism will encourage you every step of the way on your autism journey.
by Sara | Jun 15, 2018 | Autism, Life skills, Sensory
Water Safety
Water safety is a huge safety concern especially during the summer months where kids are more exposed to pools, lakes, and the beach. When researching about water safety for kids with autism, I found out that drowning is the leading cause of death for kids with autism. Drowning is such a concern because children with autism can wander off and they may be drawn to water areas.
This is why teaching water safety skills are so IMPORTANT!!
Water safety skills are important for all children to learn, but this is vital for children with autism in order to help keep them safe.
*This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy for further details.
Swimming Lessons
Swimming lessons are a must to help children learn to be safe around the water. Try to find swim instructors and programs that offer swim lessons specifically for children with autism. The National Autism Association offers a comprehensive list by city and state of YMCA’s that offer swim lessons for children with special needs.
How to help your child feel more comfortable with swimming lessons and the water:
Help them ease into the swimming program by letting them take a tour of the pool/environment before the lessons. Let them explore the area and get used to the sights, smells, and sounds that they may encounter. Create a positive atmosphere by talking about the pool and how fun the experience will be for the child.
Find a way to introduce the water to the child before the lessons begin. This could be by letting them watch videos of swimming lessons on YouTube, introduce water play with toys during bath time, or get a mini pool with very shallow water and let them play in there.
If the child is super fearful of the water, they may need an extended amount of time to desensitize to the water. If the child cannot swim, try to find a swim vest or flotation device that child can wear to help keep them safe.
Teach the skills in a way that the child will understand. Try to create an atmosphere with minimal distractions and repeat the concepts as often as necessary for the child to understand. Be patient.
Try using a visual schedule during a swimming lesson to help them understand what they will be learning and help with transitions between the activities. This can also help to ease anxiety and frustration to help make a more successful swimming lesson. Try taking pictures of the actual pool environment to help them better understand the environment and to help with transitions.
Create a sensory-friendly environment for the child. Do they need to wear a specific type of swimsuit, wear goggles, ear plugs, or nose plugs? Check out the KU Sensory Enhanced Aquatics program with a video showing how to help make teaching water skills for children with autism successful!
Pool Safely has some great tools and videos to help explain water safety for children.
Austrailia’s Royal Life Saving Society has created a kids zone dedicated to teaching kids about water safety in fun interactive ways!
Pool Tools
Kickboards: these can help your child stay afloat while they practice kicking their legs.
Goggles: these can be helpful if your child is bothered by getting water in their eyes.
Ear protection: These can be helpful to help keep water from getting into the ears, but also to help minimize the sound.
Water Noodles: Noodles are another fun way to use a flotation device to help child float and learn to kick their legs.
Help Stop Wandering
Set up the environment for success by putting bells, chimes on doors to help let you know if they open. Put locks on doors and put high chain link locks as well out of reach of kids. Secure the pool area with a fence, cover, and alarms. Install a fence/gate with an alarm around a home pool. Let your neighbors know you are worried about your child wandering and that your child has autism. Encourage them to always keep their pool fence secured and aks if you can contact them if your child ever wanders.
Always stay near your child when around the water. Do not let them out of your sight. An accident can happen super quick, and you can be right there to help stop it from happening.
Teach your child about the dangers of water. Talk to them about water safety through a social story or social video.
The National Autism Association provides a comprehensive safety guide with the Big Red Safety Toolkit for parents to help keep them safe around water.
We hope you find these water safety tips and reousces helpful for you and your loved one. We want to make the water safe for all children! Let us know if you have any more safety tips you would like us to add!
by Sara | Jun 14, 2018 | Autism, Life skills, Sensory
Life Skills Summer Activities
Summer vacation can be a great time to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of the school year, but it can also bring about some added stress of going away from the typical routine. Some teens may do well without structure, but some may still need some structure throughout their day as well. As a family, we are always finding ways that we can continue to work on building life skills with everyday activities.
The summer months can be a great way to explore new activities that you may not have the time to do during the school year. These can be great activities to help engage your teen in new and fun experiences, but also help them learn new life skills as well. Just because it is the summer, does not mean they have to stop learning.
We decided to help create a list of summer learning activities that you can do with your teen this summer to help them gain independence with life skills!
*This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure statement for further details.
Safety Skills
- Understanding what an emergency is and how and when to call 911
- Memorize their home address, how to verbalize it and how to write/type it out
- Memorize their phone number
- Internet safety rule to help keep them safe on social media
- How to be safe crossing the street and in parking lots
- Kitchen Safety with knives
- Kitchen Safety with fires
- Kitchen Safety with the stove and microwave
- How to navigate their local community (how to read road signs, how they could get back home if they were lost)
- How to talk to strangers/neighbors if they are in trouble or need help
- Who to call if they need help
- What to do if there was a fire in the house
- What to do if a stranger is at the door of the house
- How to identify “safe people” (such as police officers, fire-fighters, or friends)
- Understanding potential hazards with household products and chemicals
- Safety around pets and animals
- Understanding basic first aid skills
- How to stay safe in the home and not wander
- Pool safety skills (teaching them how to swim)
The National Autism Association has created a free Safety Toolkit for resources on how to help prevent wandering. Check that out here!
They have also created a Big Red Safety Box that is available to families in need to help keep their child with autism safe and to help prevent wandering. Click here to see if this is something that will help keep your child safe!
Social Skills
- Using manners when talking/socializing with others
- developing relationships with others
- conversational skills
- small talk
- how to ask questions
- how to ask for help
- how to say sorry
- understanding personal space
- Check out our post of over 50+ Social Skills for teens!
Self-Care Skills
- Teaching personal hygiene skills
- washing face
- showering
- bathing
- toileting
- brushing hair
- brushing teeth
- flossing
- Understanding the importance of personal hygiene skills
- Working on dressing skills and understanding what type of clothes to wear in different weather situations
- Setting up good sleep habits and bedroom routine
- how to care for their bodies
- Check out our personal hygiene skills Ebook to help you teach these skills!
Homemaking Skills
- Laundry skills
- sorting clothes
- folding laundry
- putting clothes away in the right area
- loading the washing machine and how to turn it on
- loading the dryer and how to turn it on
- safety with laundry products and how much to use when doing laundry
- Cooking skills
- simple recipes to follow to make meals
- using a microwave
- safety when using a stove
- how to store food in the kitchen
- how to read labels
- how to read a recipe and gather the supplies
- how to make a grocery list
- Cleaning skills
- how to make the bed
- how to wipe off the counter
- how to clean up a spill
- taking out the trash
- sorting for recycling
- Taking care of pets
- feeding pets
- cleaning pets
- taking pets for a walk
- Basic home repair skills or who to call for repairs
- how to take care of their things and know where they are located
- Money Skills
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- creating a budget
- manage checking account, savings account, or write a check
- how to pay with dollar bills
- how to pay with debit/credit cards
- how to save money
Community Skills
- how to navigate stores to make purchases
- how to create a list of items they need to purchase
- how to purchase your items at the check out lane
- navigating parking lots safely
- how to read community signs
- Ask for directions
- able to use an app or electronic device for directions
Sensory Fun Activities
Looking for a checklist of skills to help your teen learn as they transition to adulthood?
