Tips for Potty Training Special Needs Children
Potty training can be very frustrating for parents, and as a mom of a special needs child, that frustration seems to be even more intense. We’ve been working on getting our son out of training pants and into regular underwear. That process has taken a while, at first we were frustrated but luckily for us both his schools so far had no problems with him still being in diapers to attend school. We are still working on this with our son who’s non-verbal and autistic, but I’ve come up with some tips for potty training special needs children.
Today’s post is sponsored by Pull-Ups® Training Pants and Dollar General, but my love for their potty training help is all my own!
Potty training can be super easy, or very hard, and it mainly depends on the child. Each one responds in different ways, so I try to include tips that worked with my older children, and are working for my special needs son as well.
Testing for Readiness
You don’t want to rush the potty training process. I get it we all want our kids out of diapers and training pants, we want to stop spending money on those products, but rushing can actually cause more frustration, and make the process even more difficult for both the parent and the child. Test for your child’s readiness by using some of these signs:
- Your child can follow picture or basic instructions
- Your child can imitate others
- Your child has a williness to cooperate
- Your child shows a desire to be independent
- Your child can get to and from the toilet independently
- Your child is aware of the feeling of a wet or soiled diapers
- Your child is able to pull pants down and maybe even up on their own
- Your child is able to sit on the potty for a few minutes without help
Let your child take the lead by giving you the signs to show they are ready. Not all kids will be able to show all the signs.
Keep a Potty Journal
When you’re ready to start, keep potty journal tracking how many times your child had a wet or dirty diaper, and what time you changed them for about two weeks to give you an estimate of how many times and when they may use the bathroom.
Get them Excited about Potty Training
A year ago the flushing sound of the toilet terrified my son, making it impossible to even get him in there to use the bathroom. Now we’ve slowly showed him how it works and gotten him excited about using the bathroom he doesn’t mind the flushing sound. Another way to get your child excited about potty training is playing potty training games from Pull-Ups®.
Pull-Ups® has teamed up with renowned child psychologist and potty training expert Dr. Heather Wittenberg to create a method that takes the guesswork out of potty training. Based on research and observation of personality types in young children, Pull-Ups® has developed five potty training personalities: the Puppy, the Owl, the Bear Cub, the Turtle and the Squirrel. Take the brief assessment quiz to determine which personality your child resembles. Knowing your child’s potty personality will help you find customized advice and tips to guide you through the potty training journey.
Be Prepared for Anything
If you child is in school, try starting on the weekend, keep them out of diapers all day if you can, keep your child hydrated so they can, having a full bladder helps with the process. Prepare for any accidents, and get Pull-Ups for use during the night when you first start or when you’re traveling out of the house. They are easy to pull up and down like regular underwear. We love stocking up on Pull-Ups when there’s a coupon to help us save, and right now Dollar General has a $2.00 digital coupon to help shoppers saver on Pull-Ups® Training Pants.
We just stocked up on Pull-Ups for home and school for our son, to continue to support him during his potty training journey.
Teach Communicating the Need to Go
Since our son is non-verbal we had to find ways to teach him how to let us know when he had to use the bathroom. His teacher created a chart with pictures from the board program that showed the steps of using the bathroom. I taught him sign language for potty so he could let us know. This way he has multiple options when he’s really at that point in the process of potty training.
Cute hand washing poster to help with teaching the process to your child.
Take it One Step At a Time
Children with developments delays are best potty trained one step at a time. Start with teaching about the urge to go to the bathroom, eliminating accidents and then teach other skills like washing hands properly, flushing, wiping, and any other skills. Once your child has mastered one step add other steps to the process and help them to do it on their own.
Always Reward Success
My son loves getting praise, and he’s the same when it comes to potty training. He likes when you give him cheers and clap for anything positive. Pull-Ups® has reward charts and stickers you can create to help reward your child for their success with potty training. Click on the photo above to download your reward certificates and other goodies.
Signing up for DG Digital Coupons is super easy and even easier to use while in stores. Follow these steps to help you save on your purchases including Pull-Ups®.
Offer: Save $2.00 on Pull-Ups® Training Pants with DG Digital Coupons!
Coupon valid: April 28th – May 19th, 2016
To redeem Digital Coupons:
1. Sign up here or Text JOIN to 34898 to begin saving today!
2. Create account and load which Pull-Ups® coupons you would like to load
3. Visit your local Dollar General to redeem coupons at checkout. Find a Dollar General near you by using the store locator!
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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