Potty Training - worked for us

[Guest guest]

We potty trained my son last summer at age 3 1/2. He had showed

absolutely no interest in pottying, didn't mind hanging out in a

wet/dirty diaper, etc. He's verbal - but very little and needs lots

of motivation. He could say " potty " . Our VB consultant helped us

create a behavior-based potty training program based on the " Toilet

Training in Less than a Day " or the " Toilet Training children with

disabilities " books by Fox. I think it was the " Less than a day "

book. We devoted a whole weekend to get things started with my

husband and I and then kicked the week off with the therapists help

and he really took off on it. Took about a week for the BM part.

Whether your non-verbal child signs or not doesn't make a difference

I wouldn't think. They don't have to communicate in this program,

they could just run to the potty or point to the potty or give you

some kind of " sign " that they need to potty. I'd be happy to send my

procedures to anyone. You basically start day 1 in underwear. Push

alot of fluids (my son loves to drink). Do " dry or wet " checks every

5 minutes...hand on his underwear asking him " are you wet or dry " and

if verbal, prompt him with the correct answer. If dry, he is

rewarded with a small reinforcer hopefully edibles to make him more

thirsty). If he's wet, you say " oh no, you're wet. You potty in the

potty " . Very straight face, letting him know you're serious. And do

a " correction procedure " of taking him to the potty, pulling wet pants

down, sitting on potty for just a second, pulling wet pants back up,

going back to location of " accident " , and repeating the correction

procedure up to 5 times. Of course he's screaming the whole time the

first day we did this. Make a chart to note each dry/wet check.

Then, on every 15-minute interval, you go " potty " (depending on how

many accidents you're having while pushing fluids you could extend to

30 minutes). " Time to potty " and he sits on potty. We only let him

sit for a few minutes. Add this to chart too to note if he did

anything. If anything happens, even a little, HUGE POTTY PARTY and

reinforcers only for that party. We bought some new toys we knew he

would go nuts over. The first time it happened was awesome. Of

course he tantrumed when it was time to leave the potty reinforcer but

we kept telling him " only when you potty " . It wasn't long before he

started manding " potty " . It took a TV/VCR in the bathroom with a

special " potty only video " reinforcer to get the BMs down. You might

need a separate smaller reinforcer for just sitting on potty. You'll

need LOTS of cotton underwear. We tried to make a huge deal out of new

Blues Clues underwear and a BC plastic seat to go on the potty. We

used the big potty. Never used the little one. Objective is no

diapers anymore (but we use pullups at night - haven't battled that

yet).

I really dreaded this and thought it would take my son forever but it

only took a few days. Maybe other parents that have done the same can

post their notes too, or a consultant.

Kim in Texas

[Guest guest]

We did the same procedure on our son, this

past December. He was 5 1/2 and had no interest in

the potty or had a clue what you do in it. He is also

non-verbal. By the end of 2 wks. he was potty trained

during the day. He has not had an accident at school

yet! He still wears pull-ups at night but having him

trained during the day was worth the 2 wks. of living

in the bathroom! I am sold on this procedure.

--- pkhmstew <pkstew2@...> wrote:

> We potty trained my son last summer at age 3 1/2.

> He had showed

> absolutely no interest in pottying, didn't mind

> hanging out in a

> wet/dirty diaper, etc. He's verbal - but very

> little and needs lots

> of motivation. He could say " potty " . Our VB

> consultant helped us

> create a behavior-based potty training program based

> on the " Toilet

> Training in Less than a Day " or the " Toilet Training

> children with

> disabilities " books by Fox. I think it was the

> " Less than a day "

> book. We devoted a whole weekend to get things

> started with my

> husband and I and then kicked the week off with the

> therapists help

> and he really took off on it. Took about a week for

> the BM part.

> Whether your non-verbal child signs or not doesn't

> make a difference

> I wouldn't think. They don't have to communicate in

> this program,

> they could just run to the potty or point to the

> potty or give you

> some kind of " sign " that they need to potty. I'd be

> happy to send my

> procedures to anyone. You basically start day 1 in

> underwear. Push

> alot of fluids (my son loves to drink). Do " dry or

> wet " checks every

> 5 minutes...hand on his underwear asking him " are

> you wet or dry " and

> if verbal, prompt him with the correct answer. If

> dry, he is

> rewarded with a small reinforcer hopefully edibles

> to make him more

> thirsty). If he's wet, you say " oh no, you're wet.

> You potty in the

> potty " . Very straight face, letting him know you're

> serious. And do

> a " correction procedure " of taking him to the potty,

> pulling wet pants

> down, sitting on potty for just a second, pulling

> wet pants back up,

> going back to location of " accident " , and repeating

> the correction

> procedure up to 5 times. Of course he's screaming

> the whole time the

> first day we did this. Make a chart to note each

> dry/wet check.

> Then, on every 15-minute interval, you go " potty "

> (depending on how

> many accidents you're having while pushing fluids

> you could extend to

> 30 minutes). " Time to potty " and he sits on potty.

> We only let him

> sit for a few minutes. Add this to chart too to

> note if he did

> anything. If anything happens, even a little, HUGE

> POTTY PARTY and

> reinforcers only for that party. We bought some new

> toys we knew he

> would go nuts over. The first time it happened was

> awesome. Of

> course he tantrumed when it was time to leave the

> potty reinforcer but

> we kept telling him " only when you potty " . It

> wasn't long before he

> started manding " potty " . It took a TV/VCR in the

> bathroom with a

> special " potty only video " reinforcer to get the BMs

> down. You might

> need a separate smaller reinforcer for just sitting

> on potty. You'll

> need LOTS of cotton underwear. We tried to make a

> huge deal out of new

> Blues Clues underwear and a BC plastic seat to go on

> the potty. We

> used the big potty. Never used the little one.

> Objective is no

> diapers anymore (but we use pullups at night -

> haven't battled that

> yet).

>

> I really dreaded this and thought it would take my

> son forever but it

> only took a few days. Maybe other parents that have

> done the same can

> post their notes too, or a consultant.

> Kim in Texas

>

>

>

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