8 yr. old w/ AS having accidents......
Find a Conversation
| Mon, 01-23-2006 - 2:36pm |
DS will be 8 on Jan. 30. He was diagnosed with ADHD a year ago and Aspergers Syndrome about 8 months ago. As far as potty training went with him....he was pretty easy. He was a little over 3 when he was completely trained. The only problems we have had is with him staying dry at night. He was wearing pullups from the time he was potty trained. There was a point...maybe a year and a half ago or so that he started staying dry at night so he was finally able to wear underwear to bed. After at least 3-4 months of being dry at night he regressed and started wetting his bed (not every night but at least 3-4 nights a week). So we decided he should wear goodnights. Most of the time he wouldn't wake us up and tell us that he wet his bed. He would just put his pillow on the floor and go back to sleep. I didn't like that he had to go through that at night.
He is still wearing goodnights as of right now. He does have a lot of dry nights but not enough to go back to underwear. It's definitely something we can deal with. But just over the last few months he's been having accidents during the day. Most of the time I think it is because he gets so into what he is doing....gamecube, computer, playing....that he doesn't stop and go to the bathroom and by the time he does finally go he just doesn't make it. He's also had quite a few accidents on his way to our house after he gets off of the bus and has to go so bad that he doesn't quite make it home. We've talked to him many times about stopping what he is doing and going to the bathroom AS SOON as he feels that he has to go. And I've also told him to make sure he goes to the bathroom right before he leaves school so he can make it home without having an accident. Sometimes he tells us that he DID go as soon as he felt like he had to and he still didn't make it.
Fortunately he was always at home whenever he had one of these accidents. Well on friday he had an accident at school. His teacher called to tell me. Apparently it happened really close to the end of school and he asked if he could go to the bathroom and his teacher said yes and I guess by the time he made it to the bathroom (down the hall, not in his classroom) he had an accident. His teacher said he took a really long time to get back to the classroom so she was checking for him and luckily saw him before he had to go back into the classroom. She sent him to the nurse who gave him clean pants to put on. But he really tore up his fingers while he was in the bathroom. He really picks at the skin on his fingers around his finger nails and it's worse when he is upset or worried about something. He said a whole class of kids came into the bathroom while he was in there and he had to wait until they left. I just felt SOOOOO bad for him. He was probably so worried about going back to his classroom and having someone see him. Luckily it all worked out and nobody knew anything except his teacher.
So we had another big talk about going to the bathroom as soon as he feels even slightly like he has to go. That evening he had another accident! He said he DID go as soon as he felt like he needed to and still didn't make it.
These accidents happen at least 3-4 times a week.
So my thoughts are....does this have something to do with his Asperger's? Can he not feel that he has to go to the bathroom until his bladder is completely full and then can barely make it? But if that is the case why hasn't he had problems ever since he was potty trained?
Has this happened to anyone elses kiddos on the Autistic spectrum? What can I do? I'd do anything to spare him the embarassment of having this happen again.
Julie

I have AS, and have a similar problem. In fact, when I was on bedrest in the hospital the nurses stressed that I let them know whenever I need to go to the bathroom, and fussed at me when I had so much pee I filled the 'hat to way overflowing. I really honestly told them when I felt I needed to go, and there were times when I stood up to go and peed all over the place (because they wouldn't come AS SOON as I told them I needed to go, they always waited 15 minutes or so.)
I think it's a sensroy issue.
I hope you find a solution. There is a sensor you can buy for older children to get up during the night to potty, maybe it could be used during the day too?
Hi Julie.....I could be wrong but from what I read, some Aspie kids tend to be "under-responsive"....meaning they don't really feel that their bladder is full until it is too late....my son is 7.5 (8 in May) and his teacher complains of him dancing around and holding his privates and running out of the room to go to the bathroom....very much like newly trained kids....when they say "I have to go" it means it is coming out right now. This may be what is happening with your son....he just doesn't feel the need to go to the bathroom until it is too late. I always remind my son to go to the bathroom before he gets into bed....even if he says he doesn't have to go....I tell him to try. Try limiting his liquid intake an hour or two before bed time. I wish I had more advice....I hope this helps some.
Take care,
Christie
Julie,
Unfortunately, I'm not responding to your post with any solutions - just to let you know you're not alone.
The bathroom issue has been a MAJOR thing with Alex since the "normal" potty training age of 2-4. It took forever for Alex to recognize his need to go... no, I take that back... he's still learning. He wore pull-ups until he went to kindergarten; but then continued to wet his pants from time to time at school. Now in third grade, he still has occasional accidents; I always keep a change of clothes in his bookbag, and fortunately, the resource teachers are very good about helping him, and trying not to draw attention to it (Alex is pretty oblivious to what the other kids might think).
Keeping dry at night is another issue. JUST last week I decided to stop buying the Goodnights. I had a theory that maybe he was getting used to them, and subconciously peeing in them at night because he knew they were protecting him. Wrong - he's wet himself now 5 out of the 7 past nights. I'm going to call our pediatrician this week and set up an appointment. We just moved, so have a new ped. - he knows Alex has Asperger's, but doesn't know him very well; just have had 2 visits with him. I'm not sure what he can do to help, but I'll do anything at this point.
Sorry to go on and on - I guess I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. I'll be curious to see what others have to say...
Hugs,
Laurie
Laurie
Hi Julie,
We have the same problem with my 10 y/o ds. We have it written in his IEP that he needs to take scheduled potty breaks. It is the only way we have found to stop him from getting to the point where he just can't hold it anymore. I think part of it is sensory and part of it is just that he can't be bothered to take the time to actually go. Having the schedule is the only thing that has helped at all. It doesn't work all of the time, but most of the time it does. He is still in pull-ups every night and somedays when he is really distracted.
Beverly
Hi, I haven't read the other responses yet, but I'll let you know that my 8 year old still wears Good Nights, too. If he doesn't wear them, he just wakes up in a cold, wet bed.
Since the daytime accidents have been happening frequently, and are a new thing, I'd talk to the pediatrician. It could be a physical thing, unrelated to AS.
My ds had an accident at school this year. It was at the beginning of the year, and he didn't know HOW to tell the teacher he had to go. (She says that she had told the class what the appropriate thing to do was, but I imagine David was tuning her out at that moment...something he does when he isn't interested in what she's saying!) Anyway, he had to sit in the office, in wet pants, and I had been out that day with my cell phone that can't hold a charge, so I had no idea. He didn't seem to care if anyone saw him or not, but the office lady was nice enough to suggest that we leave before the bell rang so we could avoid everyone.
Evelyn