My sons teacher said he asks to use the bathroom very often...advice?

Hi all so my son’s teacher told me he has been using the bathroom 7-9 times a day at school. I’m not sure what to make of it since he doesn’t do this at home. He’s 6 years old and non verbal but he can still talk only thing is he can’t tell me what is going on. I was told to take him to the doc to get it checked.

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My son is 6 and autistic as well. I took him to the doctor to check for a UTI and it came back negative. But since then we have been reminding him to empty completely and also have him on miralax when needed as it could also be constipation. Since doing these he seems to be going to the bathroom less.

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Personally, my son is the same way. He has anxiety and he “unwinds” by walking away to take a breather. His teacher was aware of it and let it happen. Sounds like maybe you should talk to the teacher.

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I’m betting on anxiety. Personally when mine gets high enough I have to go to the bathroom. Sometimes it’s a nice quiet private place to focus on the work I need to do to calm myself. So if everything’s good medically then look at the mental side of things!

My daughter did this last year and it turned out to be an anxiety thing with her! ask his teacher if anything has changed or if someone is being mean to him. she should be watching enough she should notice.

Are there symptoms other than frequent urination? If its just the peeing then it could be a uti or similar but if there are other symptoms like rapid weight loss, always feeling thirsty, a sweet smell on the breath and frequent urination then it could be type one diabetes, I’d get him looked at by a doctor to be safe.

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Definitely have his sugar checked. My so. Was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 7 years old and he was constantly in the bathroom.

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Agree. He may have a UTI or bladder infection.

He could be bored or want to get away from something in class, he could have found his manhood and realizes he can only touch himself when he is alone or in the bathroom, he may not understand that an initial urge to pee doesn’t mean he needs to relieve himself immediately, or he may have issues with something like diabetes or a UTI. I would agree to go get him checked out by a physician.

My son did this a lot he has adhd the school started giving him mini brain breaks. Cuts down on trips and he comes back more focused.

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I learned with my boys that they were getting UTIs. It’s not as common for boys than girls but still possible.

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My son did this all through out his school years. It was more of needing a quick getaway than anything else. His teachers finally accommodated and he did better in school.

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My daughter has autism and she is in full speed mode all the time which means she doesn’t empty her bladder. She goes to the bathroom often because she doesn’t “finish” going. Also sometimes she goes just so she can take a walk😄

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Definitely a good idea to check in with his Dr. If everything is good medically then probably just bored

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Sensory overload. Just needs a break

If he’s not doing it at home then likely nothing medically wrong. Probably just bored or needs a break.

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Or he could be like my 6 year old and wants to play with the faucet or flush the toliet :roll_eyes:I can’t leave him alone for 5 seconds before he is into something in the bathroom 2nd wk of school he flooded boys bathroom because he kept flushing the urinal :woman_facepalming::woman_facepalming::face_with_peeking_eye:

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Sounds like school is too overwhelming for him, being un verbal must be very frustrating and probably embarrassing so he’s found a safe space to go being the bathroom, I would try and find a better and safer feeling place for him then general school

My kid did this, it was too get out of class

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Kids use the bathroom to get out of work! They “play” in restrooms. Funny how they never need to go unless the teacher is teaching. Never during recess, gym, or fun time. I’m in school as a volunteer “grandma” all year. It’s the same every year with the bathroom!

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Is he doing it at home too? My son went through an 8 week period where he was going so often, sometimes every minute. We took him to a specialist and they said it’s a benign condition called polyuria and they’re not 100% sure why but it may occur due to a disturbance in the urinary tract most likely as a response after a virus or a growth spurt. It went away on its own with the help of “bolus drinking”. We’d give him about 4 ounces of water and he’d have to chug it with a straw every couple hours. They said the larger amount of fluids will fill the bladder and calm down the feeling of needing to go. It did go away on its own after about 8-9 weeks.

Nerves and someone should be going to see if there is a problem or just getting out of class.

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When my son was doing this in grade school it was related to needing sensory breaks. He went to the bathroom for a quiet period of lessened demands to avoid melting down in class in front of his classmates. I would guess that since he is non-verbal he is just communicating his need for a different type of space in this way.

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Teacher probably wants him to be tested for uti

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This happened when my son was in elementary school. Turns out he was just antsy and getting up to go to the bathroom was a way to move

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It can be just that he feels overwhelmed. It maybe he needs to use the bathroom, it maybe he feels all the energy of all in the classroom and needs to defuse somewhat from all that is going on. We can all feel unsettled at times or need a break for whatever reason try not to make a big deal of it as this will just make things worse for the whole situation. Self regulation can be just taking that break to cope with all that’s going on inside. I feel sometimes that children can feel challenged by other children & teachers at times.

He probably needs time away.
I added stuff like this to my kids iep

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This could be anxiety. Especially since he doesn’t do it at home. My daughter had anxiety and when she’s out somewhere or she’s feeling anxious, she goes to the bathroom like this.

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Yes, if a teacher tells you this, take him to the doctor.

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My son was doing it just bc he was bored. He is not on the spectrum but we came up with a plan of going potty before class started. Before lunch. After recess and one time in the afternoon. It seemed to help and he’s now in 6th grade and still tries to go to the bathroom bc he’s bored.

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Sometimes, kids need space even if it’s to the bathroom… I’m a substitute teacher some kids go more than others. I think he needs breaks, just not bathroom breaks.

Maybe it’s anxiety? Too much stimulation.

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If he’s not doing it at home it is most likely not a health issue. Maybe he has anxiety and it’s a way yo escape for a second. Or anxiety bladder. I would definitely talk yo his therapist and see what they recommend

Could be that hes feeling insecure about learning New things.

My youngest does this when he wants to avoid doing something he doesn’t want to do. Chores? He has to use the bathroom. Homework? Bathroom. In trouble and being sent to time out? Bathroom.

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Take him to the Dr to be sure it’s not physical. But since it happens only at school I bet the classroom is a stressful environment. The bathroom is his comfort zone where he can escape the sensory & emotional stimulation.

Sounds more like an anxiety thing or discomfort. Children with autism are super attuned to energies around them. Maybe he doesn’t like one of the other children or one of the teachers or carers. Doubt its anything medical if he’s not doing it at home. Could just be bored or using the actual movement involved in going fromm classroom to bathroom as a form of self regulation. Movement is self regulation. They should really know this… obviously medical stuff has to be checked but surely people who work with special needs children should know this… Ugh. The system​:roll_eyes: also just cos he’s non verbal doesn’t mean he can’t tell you :smiling_face_with_three_hearts::smiling_face_with_three_hearts: only 17pc of communication is verbal.

Does he have issues with loud noises? My daughter does and will put on her head phones to block it out for a bit. This could be his way of getting away from that. Could try sending a set of ear phones with him

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He is being like every other kid who don’t want to be at school. I spent half the time in the bathroom and now so does my 13 year old son lol

My son is older, non verbal, and I was just told mine is doing the same thing. We think it is partially to avoid the classroom and doing work. There could be so many things going on. Keep asking more questions.

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Sounds overstimulated and looking for breaks or anxiety

Get it checked out but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s just using it as time to decompress a little.

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This is common among kids with autism. Definitely get him evaluated.

My son was like that :rofl: They caught on he was doing it bc he was bored and they literally LET him. No kid needs to go more than 3 times when in school (unless something medical).

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My son did the exact same, he figured out he could get out of class and wander around the halls by asking to go lol. They figured him out pretty quick.

Awe he may just have anxiety. Doesn’t hurt to take him to the doctor and discuss it though.

Medical conditions don’t just stop when u leave school so I doubt it’s any of those things being throw out there. Sounds like he knows it will get him a few minutes out of class aka a break. Many children do it.

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Take him to his pediatrician and have him checked. Leave these fb doctors out of it.

Yes Dr’s, check for uti constipation diabetes etc. If it’s not that maybe he’s doing something in the bathroom, like playing with water or touching himself something sensory he enjoys in there or he could be over stimulated and trying to find some peace. Good luck x

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Lick him. If it’s got a sweet taste, it is essential to have him tested for diabetes

He’s probably playing in hallway or bathroom.

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Take him in just in case if it’s an infection or something, but it’s likely he’s just bored and wants to take a walk. Some kids just like to play in the sinks/wash their hands.

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Dehydration or a UTI. I know as a mom, I’m on my kids about staying hydrated all day every day, but my kids would get violently ill from dehydration, because the school would actually take their water bottles away if they weren’t clear, so they had no way to drink water throughout the day. Dehydration equals frequent urination, and eventually losing bladder control.

I would take him to doctor to rule out any problems but I’m guessing it might be anxiety. I will use this analogy. I have anxiety and when I feel anxious the first thing I want to do is get away and take a break. Your son has discovered the bathroom is a good spot to get away.

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I would get sugar checked. Better to be safe than sorry.

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Could be many things. Anxiety/ stress, diabetes, uti. But speak to doc. Could be something triggered it. There is a Real medical term I just can’t remember. It happens to people/kids.

If he’s using the bathroom that much I’d get him checked for being diabetic

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Could be that he’s overstimulated and needs a break from the classroom

First… if he talks and uses words at all… he it NOT non-verbal. Second… ask them what he is doing in the bathroom. Is he actually going pee or poop? Is he just playing with things in the bathroom? Does he enjoy washing his hands after he goes? He could just want to play in the water. Usually, kids use the bathroom as an escape mechanism, play time, or maybe he just likes the bathroom at school and thinks it is cool. I would want more information before I gave advice. Third… they don’t have any right telling you to take him to a doctor. That is not their place.

I used to do this just as an excuse to get out of class

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Yes you should definitely take him to the doctor. Could be a UTI could be type 1 diabetes…: could be a lot of things that should be ruled out.

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He probably needs to move more and going to the bathroom makes that possible

Same here around that age. I had everything checked and nothing was wrong. He gree out of it. I’d get checked just in case and to rule it all out. After all that he use to try and hold it, and ended up peeing his pants a little and sat in it because he was too scared to tell the teacher, I found out because I could smell the dry pee. If it’s all ruled out you need to have a talk with the teacher and just let it be. To me it’s really not that big of deal to pee that much at school and as long as he’s not taking 10 mins in the rest room it’s fine

He’s probably needing more stimulation and needs to get his wiggles out. I used to ask to use the bathroom all the time when I was a kid just for a break from the high expectations kids have.

make sure the dr checks for type ! diabetes

My autistic son also started using the toilet very very frequently at school. He was using a little more at home but not substantially more however I took him to the doctor and he was so constipated that there’s basically no space left in his stomach. The pressure from his bowels was pushing on his bladder causing the frequent urination and despite being verbal he had not complained of any discomfort at all. I would definitely discuss it with your pediatrician but there are so many things that it could be at this point. There is potential for a UTI but if there’s not something mechanically wrong in there he’s more than likely sick of being in the classroom and looking to get away from it. He could either be bored with the curriculum or overstimulated by the environment… so many things

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I never knew this, but in boys sometimes are born with the little hole in their penis very small for som reason it doesn’t complete open up at birth, doctor will make a slit cut to open it sometimes, it heals by itself, if for some reason it closes back up then he will go n hospital for som stitches. Check it out mama

My little
Guy (grandson) went through a period of using the restroom very frequently. He was going through some stuff in his life that made him a nervous wreck.  Doctor said this was common with children That may be having some anxiety or stress issues.  It passed…. Came on once again about a year later. As long as they are not “playing” in the bathroom and they are truly going to use the bathroom, the teachers need to let them go! I had an issue with one of our teachers, so I brought a doctors note and she stopped being crappy about it!

They need to normalize breaks outside of just bathroom for kids to recoup and recollect from sensory overload or to reset their mind set

Could be diabetes, could be UTI, could be that he’s over stimulated at times or not stimulated enough and bored.

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It could be a learned behavior being maintained by escape. Going to the bathroom=getting out of the task/activity. They should provide him with frequent breaks instead. Try to come up with a system with the teacher where he can earn breaks for a couple minutes then come back to the activity. Token boards work wonderfully. Good luck!

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Urinary infection sound like it

Anxiety can cause the need to go to the bathroom frequently (urinating included). If he is autistic, he especially could be experiencing heightened anxiety while there? This was all just my first thought that came to mind :white_heart:

My child did the same thing at that age. Dr said she was fine and to leave it alone with no attention and it will pass. (Must be common). Teacher continued to allow her to use the bathroom upon request and the issue resolved on its own. Happy to report she’s a 14 yr old with normal bathroom habits. Kids are funny creatures…its probably nothing. lol.

My son does it just to play with the hand dryer

My daughter has severe adhd and her dr said it’s normal. But I’d still get him checked out to rule out everything

It may bean escape fom a stessful situation.

Enuresis is a PANS/PANDAS symptom just fyi. Autistic kids seem more prone to PP than NT kids