How to Potty Train Children with Special Needs

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Determine your child's physical ability to potty train.

   You will want to make sure your child is physically ready and it is safe for them to begin toilet training before beginning.Forcing your child to begin too early, or not providing enough assistance to them, may be detrimental to the potty training process.
   
   If they are not ready, choose to either wait or create assistive measures to help them succeed.
   
   Some ways to determine if your child is physically ready include the following.Can they sit with or without support? Can they attempt to squat with or without losing their balance? Can they walk without help? Can they stay dry for at least an hour at a time?
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   Step 2: Assess your child's recognition of their own needs.

   This involves making sure your child is cognitively and emotionally ready to begin toilet training.It will help to determine where you child's ability to sense their own need to use the bathroom and how they process through the steps of toileting.
   
   If they are not ready, choose to either wait for them to become ready or help them by providing extra assistance.
   
   Some ways to determine if your child is cognitively or emotionally ready include the following.Can they tell the difference between being wet and dry? Can they sense when they need to go to the bathroom? Can they undress themselves with or without help? , Having a child with special needs, you are probably speaking to their doctors regularly.
   
   Inform your child's doctor of your intention to begin potty training.
   
   The doctor will be able to talk with you about the readiness of your child to begin potty training, which can vary greatly by child, especially with children with special needs.Additionally, having a discussion with your child's doctor may be very helpful to you during the process. , Consider common toilet training needs, such as child toilets or seat extenders.
   
   Also, determine the need for equipment that may be specific to your child, their disability, and their needs.
   
   Consider the following equipment or logistical considerations you may need to make.
   
   Physical assistive devices, such as portable toilets, hand rails, and appropriate access to the sink, and materials your child may need.
   
   Consider the logistics of your child's access to the bathroom.
   
   Is it easily reached, or will you need to make adjustments to your home? Cleaning supplies for possible accidents during the training process. , Children with with physical special needs should be potty trained in a different manner from children with behavioral, cognitive, or emotional special needs.
   
   Knowing your child and how potty training will be affected by their specific complications will allow you to tailor each stage of the training so that they have the best chance of being successful.If your child has special needs that make walking or standing difficult, potty training should focus on different mobility options as well as how to give themselves more time to get to the bathroom.
   
   A child that is blind may need more detailed instructions due to not being able to model behavior they view, or they may need instructions on how to locate the toilet bowl or the toilet tissue paper.Children with paralysis or nerve damage may have difficulty recognizing the feeling of their internal organs nearing capacity so they may need help developing a schedule. , Children with mental or emotional special needs have a different set of challenges in potty training than children with physical special needs.
   
   Some potential difficulties can result from an impaired level of comprehension or understanding of what the parent is trying to get them to do or the process altogether.Be aware of the potential obstacles and meet your child where they are functionally and work from there.
   
   Recognize that with emotional, mental, developmental, or intellectual disabilities, the potty training process can take significantly longer.Exercise patience with your child and celebrate small steps with them.
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   Step 3: Obtain approval from their doctor.

4. 4

   Step 4: Have all equipment ready and consider logistics.As you are assessing readiness for beginning toilet training

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   Step 5: make sure you have all the supplies and equipment you may need.

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   Step 6: Recognize potential difficulties in potty training kids with physical disabilities.

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   Step 7: Evaluate potential difficulties in potty training kids with mental or emotional difficulties.

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