I have a five-year-old with developmental issues. I only got her half potty trained this year due to the fact her teacher and I set a schedule and consistent timers to help her. She will go pee but will not poop in the toilet. She will pee, and 5 minutes later, she will tell me she pooped her pants. I have continued the set schedule throughout the summer and made sure her summer camp assisted as well. What can I do to help her?
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How can I potty train my child with developmental delays?
Make her sit. Let her earn a special surprise. I trained mine with kinder eggs. It got expensive so we switched to a chart with an egg once filled
make her dump the poop in the toilet by herself. Sounds weird but eventually mine got tired of doing it and started going in the toilet
My son was the same way so I’d offer a little prize if he went, got him a book and a stool to put his feet up and just waited until he finally did - now he poops on the potty all the time. We also did a potty sticker chart and that worked well.
You May Have To Allow Her To Spend A Little Time Dirty / Uncomfortable. 15 mins or so. Not hours…
I Assume She’s Been Allowed To Accompany. / observe your evacuation and self cleanup / wipe…and disposal…some spectrum children find it difficult to evacuate other than at home. And even then would prefer not to flush. Loose it. I’m sure others will have thoughts. Be consistent in your efforts
Let her sit on the toilet, book, toy or whatever and have her feet on a little stool. Make sure her stool is soft and it isn’t hurting to go. My daughter was extremely constipated and it messed with potty training… Also offering princess ice cream parties and or something special can help make her efforts worth it. Good luck!!
While she is on the toilet tell her to try to poop while sitting there. My daughter was the same although she liked to grab her poop and put it in the toilet. … She has Williams Syndrome.
I knew someone who had the same issue when her daughter was about two, I know it sounds unrealistic but try something to change and make it a little more fun or different. Her daughter finally went poop in the potty when they got a new toilet. So maybe a fun toilet cover or a light around the bottom of the toilet.
Honestly I learned from my son and he was 3 when he finally potty trained but he would do the same thing. They will potty train when they are ready. I know it can be discouraging but a child will not potty train till they are ready.
Find the book titled Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Foxx-Azrin. Used it many times with special needs kids and it is wonderful .
Yes my daughter is special needs and I potty trained her she’s does great…
I gave my daughter a balloon everything she went potty. Yes, you couldn’t see the floor for the balloons sometimes, but that’s a good thing
We gave or daughter a dry erase marker and turned her around qnd let her draw on the back of the toilet seat it wipes right off and she relaxed enough to poop
My daughter is special needs and she’s 13. She still pees her pants often. It’s definitely been a struggle. Just keep being consistent!
It takes time with any child,I found rewards work best with mine.
She will get there. I had three daughters, offer pretty underwear as an incentive. Lotsa happy laughing!
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How can I potty train my child with developmental delays?
I’m following bc my son has just been diagnosed autistic and I know I should start trying with him in the next year but I don’t even know where to start.
One thing helped sitting in ng child backwards on toilet seat. Small area fits their little bottom they can hold on and see what’s going on in there good luck
We got a potty watch!! They are AMAZING. You can set them for every 15, 30, or 60 mins & no matter if you have to or not when it sings & lights up you have to go try for 2 minutes
Maybe try to figure out what time a day they usually go and try to include it into a visual schedule so they can see
My oldest son (8) has autism and I started trying with him when he was 2. Never worked. He finally got potty trained at 6. I let him watch a tablet while he tried to go and that worked. Just be patient and keep trying.
I have a 5 year old autistic son. And he’s almost half potty trained. He was almost fully potty trained until this pandemic hit. And when his school was closed we had to start all over again. It’s hard. Just gonna take some time. We try to stay on a schedule with him but he’s everywhere and gets distracted.
My daughter is autistic. Between me and my mother in law and mom it took till she was almost 7 to train her.i always sent extra pants for accidents.but she got the hint .
Maybe try M&Ms Cheerios some kind of reward. Also a schedule. Discuss how clean you feel when you go! Maybe sing the Charmin song every time he/she goes to the in the potty!!
So for some reason kids seem to think going on the potty pee and poop are two complete different and opposite things.
Going poop is somehow foreign even when they go poop.
Try to see if she has a certain time of day she goes
Try to sit her around that time and sing a song or read a book or something that is highly motivating
It takes time…with all children.
My daughter has been potty trained since May and just this week starting going poop on the potty
Time and patience
Call a behaviorist and have them help. Our University has a program for special needs children that you pay $5 to go to a program that teaches you the steps for success. If you continue to struggle, the behaviorist will come to your house and help figure out what is keeping them from training and help you get around it. You may want to call your local universities and see if they have this program too. It is called Positive Behavioral Support Interventions- Potty Pros. If they do not have this program, you can call a private behaviorist and get help. An OT can help too, if the delay is a result of a un-integrated or mis-integrated reflex.
It will happen just keep putting her on the toilet stop with the pull ups just keep putting her on and walk away I have 4 kids 3 have a developmental delay it will happen just don’t stress out about it my now 12 year still strips off to squat on the toilet I always know what his doing as u walk down my hallway and clothes are all there lol
My son did the same thing. He wasn’t fully potty trained until he was 5 1/2. Also has developmental delays. We just kept paying attention to when he made his poopy face and would run with him to the bathroom. Using a tablet or phone really helped keep him distracted. We would also wait right outside the door because he didn’t like being watched. Be patient and keep trying.
Potty prizes. Go to the dollar store and buy some silly toys. Clap loudly when they poop in potty chair and let them pick out a potty prize. Also, this may sound mean, but make them have to dump their poo in the toilet and wash out their underwear.
I had the same issue with my son… he was in pre k… I took him to the dr… turns out his intestine was blocked… and the poop would go around and he couldn’t feel it… it was weird… the dr gave him a stool softener to clear that and after that my son started feeling when he had to poop cause he would only pee in the toilet not poop in the toilet
I was going to say get little prizes. It really helps.
Try sitting longer on the potty especially around the times she normally poops. Turn her around and leave a bucket of washable markers in it. Let her color the lid and when she tires to get up give her wipes to wipe if off.
My daughter is also delayed. Her OT has me putting her underwear on and then over it a diaper. Since they don’t like the feeling of being wet.
Leave her on the potty alittle longer til she poops, give her a book an activity. It will relax her and help her poop, hopefully
This rings a bell with me .my daughter would know when she needed to pee but just didn’t know when she needed to poop .then all of a sudden it clicked .she is special needs keeping to being deaf .her daughter is now potty training and is just like her mummy .she will go to the potty to pee no problems but just didn’t seem to know when she needs to poop until it’s too late then gets quite upset that she as pooped .we just reassure her it’s ok and not to worry .we are hoping it suddenly clicks
My granddaughter used a gumball machine and each time her autistic son pooped in potty he could get a gumball
My son wouldn’t poop in potty. I finally got him to stand in bathroom when he had to poop cuz he used to hide. Well one day I followed him into bathroom took his pants off and put him on toilet. He was screaming and crying for about 15 minutes until he realized that he was going. Then he completely changed he was like “oh I pooped” after that day it was about a week b4 he realized that he has to get on potty b4 he starts pooping. He was starting in his pullup then finishing on potty making huge mess. But he finally got it figured out. He was 4. He just needed that push. I was told some kids have anxiety thinking a part of then is coming off or something. It may not have been the best way to go about it by forcing him to stay there but it worked. He just needed that push to realize hes fine.
Each child is diff. Just be patient. Continue positive reinforcement. It will come. Place her on potty and read to her, give rewards etc. But most of all be patient.
My daughter would do this. Turns out she was shy. I decided one day to take her to the bathroom when she started the poop face and I put her on the pot and turned my back I watched from the mirror and after a few minutes she was done
Maybe it’s worth a shot, try telling her if she goes poop in the potty he will take her to get her nails done like a girls day out. Just worth a shot
I’m a retired day care teacher as well as worked with special needs…every hour on the hour, sit with them and read simple books or even picture books. Rewards for trying with a sticker and also if successful give three m&M’s or Skittles
My kids never had candy, except 2 M&M’s for peeing, 4 for pooping. Worked like a charm, lol
Depending on the severity of the developmental challenge: make her clean it up herself. If she can, you win, if she can’t you’ve probably only lost a couple towels. Might be worth a try.
Maybe sitting too long making her legs go numb. I had that problem when my oldest was little she always pee in the toilet and poop on the floor when I asked her why she said her legs stop working😂 they were numb
It took me and my son’s aid at school two years to potty train him. He has Down’s syndrome and has taught me so much.
All positive reinforcement yes bribery its gonna happen when she’s ready but it will be faster the other way
Skittle for a piddle or poop. Worked in 3 days for grandson
That is normal it just takes time and patients
I just took her in and put her on the potty Everytime she looked like she was trying to go in her diaper. It took a lot of time and patience, but eventually she got it. And she had severe cerebral palsy and non verbal
Set a schedule and stick to it. Developmental issues or not, they need to be on a schedule with a solid routine. Also, make it fun. There are plenty of potty games you can get on a phone for them.
Talk with her Pediatrician.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How can I potty train my child with developmental delays?
Make it fun like a game that’s what I had to do with mine
I would try letting her sit on the toilet a little longer and maybe sing songs with her until she relaxes enough to go. She may just need a little more toilet time.
My boy is 5 with autism. He refuses to poop in the potty too. He said its scary.
Oh my gosh, I so understand my 5 year old will go poop in the toilet, but constantly wet himself. And he has autism as well.
What I do for my son is I paid attention to specifically what time of day he poops, because he eats relatively the same time each day which makes him poop on schedule. Once I knew about what time or time he would poop or his signals like running away and farting then I would know to get him to sit on the potty a little longer
Well you could ask your child to bring you a diaper for a while to let you know she has to poop and then give her rewards for pooping in the diaper. I did this for awhile with my son. After about two weeks of doing this I convienently left them in the car and said why dont you sit here and give it a try while I go to the car and get them. Another idea is children have not coordinated their bodies yet to sit and poo yet. They do not know they are supposed to sit and push. They poop standing up thats why its literally a struggle to get them to poop. After awhile of your child giving you diapers to poop in you could give give your child a glycerine suppository. They make then in childrens sizes If you cant find the childrens size cut one in half and it will do the same thing. Having your child bring you diapers when he or she poops helps let you know he or she recognizes when he or she has to poop and it establishes trust.
Don’t forget to throw a big party for each milestone. Lots of treats and treat it like its a HUGE deal. Sing songs jump up and down treat it like your child won the lottery lol. You will have a potty trained child in no time.
My daughter did the same. It took some time but she finally started to poop in the potty. I would have her bring books while she sat on the potty. I would keep an eye on her and when she looked like she was getting ready to poop, I’d make a big deal about the potty all excitedly and as well if and when she went on it. Sometimes if she went in her diaper or undies I’d dump in her potty and explain that she needed to do it in her potty. It may take time but be persistent and he will get it.
Try rewards for pottying… like little treasure box… filled with goodies she likes and let her know when she goes to the big girl potty and she gets a reward
Have you tried having her pick out underwear, having her wear underwear (I know that means lots of laundry but it works)
Our 6yr son has autism and just recently became day time pee trained but will not even attempt to poop on the potty or toilet… our pediatrician and our therapy team says not to force it or it could set him back
My son is on the low side of the autism spectrum. He just turn 8 in March and has just master peeing in the potty.
I gave my developmentally delayed son a book to look at while he was on the potty. He would take it with him and look at it (could not read at the time, of course) and once he got to the end, he was done. And usually he would only poop once a day. It worried me at first, but the pediatrician said it was fine. Best wishes for a good outcome and just keep being consistent.
I have this same problem with my 4 year old son
Have an almost 8yr old with same problem. Make sure they’re not distracted with other things during usual poo times. (That’s what’s working for us right now) sucks cuz half the time I’m at work but it does help some
Both of my kids (one has ASD)
We did sticker/reward charts for both.
My youngest preferred cars.
So we’d buy the 99 cent cars and for so many stickers for peeing/ pooping he’d get a car.
Pediatrician told me there is nothing you can do about the behavioral aspect of potty training. My 4.5 year old never wets the bed, fully potty trained as well as pee but will not poop on the toilet. He WAS going and pooping all by himself for a while and then one day got constipated and stopped. It has turned into like a 2.5 month battle to get him back on track, we put him back in pull ups. He has both a receptive & expressive language delay, and is set to have an autism screening within the next couple of weeks. I feel your pain. It’s rough! He was not at all potty trained until after 4.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How can I potty train my child with developmental delays?
Following same with my 7year old boy
Lots of patience and remember wiping and reaching is super hard for them
Punishments and prizes.
If you have the option…free range? My daughter pooped on the floor was shocked and chose to poop on the potty/toilet. Yup gross yup not conventional but it helped. She’s now 17 and doing great. I suggest not to punish it may just cause stress on both of you. Sending love and luck to both of you
I used a video tape with a potty song on it. He loved it he would clap and sing along then go potty
I worked with a special needs child who was not potty trained. He would Pre on the potty but would not poop. We found out he loved tootsie pop suckers, so every time he went poop on the potty he got one (a little sized one). His mom supplied them. Never punish them. It will make them fearful of going potty and they will hide it. Find something your child enjoys: stickers, m&ms, or just praise. Give them this when they go poop on the potty. Keep up with the positive reinforcements.
I have no idea. I couldn’t even get a 5 year old girl to pee in the toilet that didn’t have any delays. She wasn’t mine so idk what ended up happening but her dr said that sometimes people just pee their pants till adulthood
My oldest would not train at all as long as she was wearing any form of diaper. We put training underwear/ panties on her she was trained in a week both day and night. Consistancy is a great start. Rewards help. a few skittles or m & ms maybe 1 coookie every time she goes poo in the potty might help. I almost came down 2 having 2 let my kid run around pantless 2 train her. Urs will get there if she’s started peeing in the potty and telling u she’s pooed. Developmental delays just make it take longer. Hang in there momma u got this!
Prizes DEFINITELY help. What you can do is model it for her. I know it may seem a bit weird but take her with you when you #2, and give yourself a prize. Your little one will see you get rewarded and it will motivate them to do it as well. I really hope this helps🙂
My youngest daughter has a son who’s 4 and has a speech delay. It took a while, but she’s finally got him using the potty all the time. All it took was new underwear and candy. He wanted to wear his new underwear so bad that his mom told him that as soon as he starts pooping in the potty he can wear his big boy undies. It worked! Then she would let him chose a piece of candy. Now she’s working on her almost 3 year old.
My son had trouble because he had large bowel movements and they hurt him but I kept being persistent until he realized he was cleaner going in the potty. He learned to relax and does great now. Be patient and know you’re doing great
I agree with most of the comments above. Just have her sit a little longer on the potty. Watch her habits and if you have a feeling she’s gonna go, get to the potty and have her sit on it. It will take time.
Jesse Cruz some of this advice might help
Ask the special education teacher for help
Watch for her signs that she’s about to poop. Usually they’ll get still, or make a face. Take her to the bathroom. Let her sit there about 5 minutes and see if she does anything. Just keep trying. May take some time but you can do it. I worked at a children’s hospital and that’s how we were able to train kids. Watch for their signs and then cue to go bathroom. Underwear helps also. I seen someone mention that. Just be patient with her and keep doing a great job as her mama. Best wishes
I’d have her sit on it a little longer and remind her to go poo in the potty not her pants… I’m not very familiar with potty training those with developmental disabilities but hopefully the continuing to remind her will eventually set in. I also wouldn’t push the potty training it could cause her to stop going in the potty all together. Maybe get some videos or books on going potty and read/watch them while she’s on the toilet.
Just have patience and keep trying