My Autistic Son and Using the Toilet

That is awesome!!! I have a special needs boy and he was potty trained at 8. Still problems at night but its getting better. special needs kids are very smart and in time they will do things like any typical kid. My son likes things to be his idea not anyone elses. He is also non-verbal and every once in awhile he will say words and his first words were I love you even though he dropped the L. That was special and now he doesn't say it at all.

I can't really think of an example, but my GD who is autistic is kind of the same way. You try to get her to try to do something new and she just won't. Doesn't have any interest and zero desire to try.

Then, one day she will just come out and do it! And she'll do it perfectly. Come to realize that she will try, but not in front of anyone. So I've learned to introduce her to things and then just leave it alone. She will practice on her own and when she feels she has mastered it, she will do it for all to see! It's amazing!

Hi Proudmama-

I am so happy and proud of your son!

I have a medically fragile/special needs kiddo. She was in diapers for years...and we were encouraging potty training. Finally, I just resigned myself that she would perhaps always be in diapers...and decided that THAT was OK. A few years later, the 'potty' light went on! and she has been going ever since.

Same with eating by mouth for her. We had for years presented her with food...but focused on the 'social' aspects of mealtimes. (she had a feeding tube, and we 'fed her' overnite). Anyway, one day we caught her drinking her cup of water (no water to clean up at table)...and then the food 'light' went on...and we slowly were able to get her to eat by mouth! Now at 15...a bottomless eater...and self potty goer!!

These special kiddos cam surely be amazing!

Continued success...and congrats again!
michele/cat

I think he's on to something! Good for you, and for your motherly patience to get him there!

Congratulations to your son with his wiping success! That really is wonderful! Toileting my daughter took a long time with a lot of early success but a lot of regression... then success, then regression... over and over. She was also a fecal smearer. Gotta love the Sensory Integration Disorder paired with ASD, eh? But every single step forward she had felt like a personal victory for me, so I can only imagine how she felt.

Your son must be beaming with pride. He deserves a virtual high five.

Congratulation to you and your son on this huge milestone!

Our moment was similar. My 4 yr old with high functioning autism has no interest in actually going on the potty tho he will sit on it as routine in school. One afternoon he kept pointing to his diaper area and indicating there was a problem which I mistook as his pocket bunching up and bothering him. After several attempts to fix his pants he was still pointing so I just pulled them down revealing the actually proble, his diaper had come undone on one side. So I start to change him when he suddenly looks down says "oh no!l and heads to the bathroom. He was so urgently trying to hey in the bathroom that he couldn't turn the knob so I did and im thinking what's going on because he has no interest in the potty so that couldn't be it right? But sure enough he frantically climbs the toilet just in time to pee!!! I let out a scream and did a dance that had his face lit up! So rewarding to be blessed with special needs because of these moments that triple the excitement of "typical" kids. 3 days later my 18 month daughter peed on the potty too and it was pretty exciting also! It was a good week for the potty :)

The greatest thing about being gifted with a special needs child is that Christmas Morning feeling and this is one of yours =). Congratulations little man!

Uhm...just wait when he starts reading. You will be over the moon. Funny thing about my Rory (also autistic), is that she always makes us think things may not happen then *click* she gives me my Christmas Mornings.

That's awesome! Having a child on the spectrum, I understand *exactly* how proud you are and how triumphant your son must have felt. They get there in their own sweet time, and every step is a moment to celebrate. Congrats!

I remember you writing about your son. That's great. I am happy for you. My son had a similar experience with potty traing. He is on the spectrum as well. I was so frustrated with trying different techniques to get him potty trained. He had only eliminated once or twice in the toilet from 3-4 years of age. Finally, I told him no soda ( he loves soda)for you ever till use the toilet, well, 20 minutes later he got up all by himself and used the toilet and the asked for soda. It never seems like they are paying attention to what we are saying.

Yeah I remember thinking Andy would never get it, then he did. :)

Congrats!!

Yay! Awesome!

I found this link in case you don't already have it:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/resources-programs/au...

Congratulations Mama and son!

That's so exciting! Congrats!