potty training readiness question

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Registered: 03-31-2003
potty training readiness question
10
Mon, 02-27-2006 - 1:32pm

Sylvia (PDD-NOS, 4 y.o.) has been showing lots of signs of readiness for potty training, but it's an on-and-off kind of thing. She'll have a string of days -- or weeks -- when she keeps her pullup almost completely dry, and then she'll go back to a string of days or weeks when she doesn't go in the potty at all, even if she sits on there for a long time. We had been planning on switching her to underwear over Feb. break, but then she got the flu and so all those plans had to be scrapped. I do feel like I'd like to try to make the switch to underwear soon (as long as her school is on board, since she won't have another vacation for a while) but I'm so confused as to whether or not she's ready...

She used to never care if her pullup was wet or dirty -- she seems a bit hyposensitive, which is why I thought the switch to underwear might help, since she'd feel the wetness more that way. But recently she's been having lots of hypersensitivity, (which I actually thought might work in our favor.) However, what she does is, if she has an accident (or if her pullup leaks, or whatever), she just takes off her pants and pullup/underwear, leaves them in a heap on the floor, and goes about playing until I come in, see what's happened, and make her clean herself off and put on new clothes. Clearly wearing the wet clothes bothers her, but she obviously doesn't care if she has to take them off and go naked. Is this a good sign or a bad sign?

I really think that being potty trained would be good for her... Especially with her sensitivity issues, I think that learning to stay dry would be a huge boost for her. Plus, lately if she has a poopy diaper she sticks her hands in it and makes a huge mess -- or she'll take the diaper off and sit back down without wiping herself off, getting poop everywhere. We've had tons of accidents recently because she just takes off her pullup and goes on the floor. Part of me thinks this means she is NOT ready, but part of me thinks that this means we have to train her pronto!

For those of you who are BTDT, or who are currently going through it, can you help me out???

Jennifer

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Registered: 05-16-2003
Mon, 02-27-2006 - 6:46pm

Hi,

She sounds a lot like my DS, Jack, who is PDD-NOS and 4.5 years. He has all sorts of sensory stuff, both defensive and hyposensitive. I don't think he knew when he was wet, or he didn't care.

When he was turning 4 we just bit the bullet and started taking him to the potty every 30 minutes. And it worked! (I am told boys are much more regular than girls, but I never noticed w/ my DD.) He is 100% on pee, says he needs to go, goes on his own, stays dry all night, etc.

Anyhoo, he is not trained for #2. He does that in his undies and then tells me. We gotta' work on that. Ugh.

She sounds ready... I wish there was some good reading to do on this, but I don't think there is.

Good luck!

Cathy

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Registered: 02-20-2001
Mon, 02-27-2006 - 7:04pm
What would happen if she was bare bottomed?

 


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Registered: 03-31-2003
Mon, 02-27-2006 - 9:27pm

I have another friend who swears by the bare-bottomed technique, but I'm really nervous to do that... We've had one major accident already when she had taken off her pants and pullup while she was alone in her room, because they were bothering her, and by the time I discovered that she'd done this she'd already squatted on the floor and made a nasty poo right on the carpet, which she didn't seem at all fazed by. So I'm scared that she would just pee wherever she felt like it and not even bother to tell me, lol! I almost think she'd be more bothered by the sensation of wearing wet clothes... but I just don't know. I might try some combination and see what seems to work best...?

Thanks for the advice -- I know that Bobby is doing so well with the potty, and so you're my potty guru!!!

Jennifer

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Registered: 03-31-2003
Mon, 02-27-2006 - 9:29pm

Thanks Cathy! You gave me hope!!! I think we just have to bite the bullet as well... which is why I'm so bummed we missed our chance over Feb. break. I'm not quite sure how we'll do it without a long stretch of time away from school, you know? Maybe we'll just wait until April vacation...

Jennifer

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Registered: 08-26-2005
Tue, 02-28-2006 - 12:39pm
Jennifer,
I just started training Jake over the last two weeks. He is also hypo and those kids are supposed to be the hardest to train because they sometimes don't feel the need to go until they are actually in the process. I tried Tina's suggestion and it seems to work. I don't do the pull ups because it seems to confuse him because they are so like diapers. My PT gave me a good book to read on potty training kids on the spectrum.One thing I read in it that seems to have worked is to push gently on the bladder so they have more of a sensation of needing to go. It must help because Jake now does it himself. We started off great the first day but he is nowhere near done. He has only done one BM on the potty and has had many accidents and DH said he thought he wasn't ready yet but to be honest I think he is, it just takes hard work and a lot of patience(LOL)How often do you take Sylvia to the bathroom? I ask because thats the one thing I can't seem to figure out with Jake. I have kept a record of when he goes for over a week and there seems to be no obvious times he's consistant.
Teresa
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Registered: 03-31-2003
Tue, 02-28-2006 - 1:00pm

The problem we've had with putting Sylvia on a consistent potty schedule is that, when she sits on the potty, she likes to bring a book (or two) in there with her and sit for 20 minutes -- sometimes 30 minutes! She also likes privacy, so I don't know at what point in the process she's actually gone; when I finally convince her to get off the potty, sometimes there's pee or poop on the potty, sometimes not, but I don't know if she went in the first 5 minutes of sitting, or just before I knocked on the door! So anyway, I didn't feel like I could sit her on the potty more than a few times a day because she's on there for so long at a stretch, you know?

I went to a seminar recently on potty training AS kids, and the speaker told me that when Sylvie sits on the potty, it's all about the quiet time and the book and not at all about actually going to the bathroom. She said it's a behavioral routine that I'll need to break so that Sylvie learns to associate sitting on the potty with going to the bathroom. So last week, we got a timer for the bathroom; now she knows that she can sit on the potty for 5 minutes and if she hasn't gone, she can try again later. But I haven't really figured out yet how often to bring her to the potty. I was thinking probably every 45-60 minutes to start, just because anything more than that and I think she'd really start to resist...?

Jennifer

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Registered: 08-26-2005
Wed, 03-01-2006 - 12:03am
Jennifer,
Sylvia sounds just like Jake. He can sit up to an hour if I let him on the potty and he really dosen't seem bothered by it. I agree that Jake dosen't seem to get tjhat sitting on the potty means he's supposed to go I think it just happens sometimes because I either get him at the right time or he's on there long enough and I've stuffed him with enough juice he just goes. Oh the joy of potty training! I noticed in another post you said you had started taking zoloft. I too just this week started taking sarafem for my pms and boy does it make you tired. Have you had any side effects with the zoloft?Keep me posted on the potty training!
Teresa
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Registered: 03-31-2003
Wed, 03-01-2006 - 2:03pm

Hi Teresa -- The zoloft really knocked me out the first time I took it on Monday night. I was completely loopy and buzzed, and I had a hard time sleeping because I felt so strange. It bothered me the next day too -- I didn't even want to drive because I still felt almost a little drunk! But last night I didn't feel quite so strange and today I feel more myself -- so maybe my body just has to adjust to the drug...? How long have you been taking Sarafem for? Are you starting to feel less drowsy or is it still bothering you?

Jennifer

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Registered: 08-26-2005
Wed, 03-01-2006 - 11:56pm

Jennifer,
I'm still a little tired which surprises me because I'm only taking a low dose(10mg). To be honest I don't see how it's going to make a big difference seeing I'm only supposed to take it for 2 weeks before my period. Anything I've ever read says it can take up to a month of taking a pill everyday to see any improvement in symptoms. I'm considering just taking a low dose of paxil or zoloft everyday instead but I'm afraid it will make me anxious. Did you notice an increase in anxiety?
Teresa

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Registered: 03-31-2003
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 6:38am

I haven't noticed an increase in anxiety with zoloft -- but I'll have to wait a few weeks to know for sure, since I've only been taking it since Monday. I'm adjusting to it really quickly -- this morning I woke up feeling totally fine, not drowsy or buzzed at all. That is really strange that you're only supposed to take Sarafem for 2 weeks at a time... Maybe call your doctor and tell her that you're reacting badly to it?

Jennifer