Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Potty Training an Autistic Child - Three Simple Steps

If you are the parent of an autistic child, you are already accustomed to having your patience tested regularly. Potty training an autistic child can be an excruciatingly difficult time even for the most patient parent.

With consistency, rewards, add even a little fun, success can be met in potty training an Autistic child with the following tips:

1. Consistency is tantamount. Pick a definite time to get your son or daughter to try to use the potty. Try to choose a time that the child usually goes in the diaper. Routines are very critical to Autistic children, and going to the potty is no exception.

Determine a signal to let your son or daughter know what is expected of them when it is time to use the potty. Whatever the signal is, make sure you use it every time you want your son or daughter to attempt to use the potty. As I have said before, consistency is crucial.

2. Keep it positive. When it comes to potty training an Autistic child, you need to applaud the victories and ignore the defeats. When your child effectively uses the potty, praise them to let them know they did a good job. This will also make them feel proud to use the potty.

If they don't want to get on the potty, don't get frustrated and upset. Simply wait about 30 minutes and try again. Remember, autistic children have short attention spans, so if it takes a long time, they probably won't learn from it.

3. Attempt to bring a little fun into potty training. There are many aspects of potty training that can scare autistic children. It's very different than going in their diaper. It makes a strange sound when you flush. The water swirls.

A Parent can ease many of a child's fears by making potty training something enjoyable that the child looks forward to. You could try putting some of the child's favorite objects by the potty to make it a more enjoyable experience.

As your child gets more accustomed to using the toilet, you can begin to gradually remove the objects from potty time. Remember, you want the child to leave the bathroom feeling glad that they went on the potty.

Potty training an Autistic child can leave both your child and you with a great sense of pride and accomplishment. Click here for more information about symptoms and signs of Autism.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_Parrish

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