If advised by consulting physicians and specialists to toilet train the child, a great deal of patience and a longer time frame may be necessary. Many other skills accompany even simple routines for children with physical or mental impairments.

As a parent, you are the only one who knows your child’s abilities. You can gauge whether or not they are even near being able to grasp the thought or tasks involved in potty training.

Just like with all other children, you need to be sure that your child is fully able to understand his or her’s bodily functions and what to do with those feelings when they arise. You have to let your child dictate to you when the time is right.

Once you reach that point, use the same techniques we’ve outlined throughout this whole book. Just because your child has special needs doesn’t make them all that different from every other child. As you are well aware, potty training special needs children just requires a little adaptation.

You need to do a clear task analysis of each process that trainers and parents often take for granted. This may involve actually writing down every step taken in order to go to the toilet. The tasks might include some of the following:

• Recognizing when she/he has to go to the bathroom
• Waiting to eliminate
• Entering the bathroom
• Manipulating clothing closures
• Pulling pants down
• Sitting on the toilet
• Eliminating in the toilet
• Using paper correctly
• Pulling pants up
• Flushing toilet
• Washing hands
• Drying hands

You may notice that many of the signs outlined above are the same as any other child who is ready to begin potty training. Your special needs child is no different. You need to be aware of what to look for before taking on this difficult task and then start with the right attitude for both you and your child.

To see if your child is ready to learn toilet training, answer the following additional questions.

• Can the child follow simple directions? (“Come here.”)
• Can the child sit in a chair for five minutes?
• Can the child wait at least 1-1/2 hours between elimination times?

Recognizing the signs that your child is ready for the potty is the best way to know when it’s time to begin. You are no different than any other parent at this point in your child’s development. Sure they might a little older, but you still have to help your child travel this road with as little disruption and distraction as possible.

When you are focused on the job, they’ll be focused on the job too. That will make the job easier on both of you!

What about multiples? When you have twins or even (gasp!) triplets, the issue of potty training becomes even stickier. But in actuality, you are going to have an easier time than you might think.

First, when it comes to the potty chair and the removable bowl, you may want to show your child the correct way to clean it out and have them do it themselves.

Change your child’s underwear or training pants as soon as possible after soiling so s/he doesn’t become comfortable with or even enjoy, being soiled.
Soiled underwear falls into one of two categories: save or trash. When it is just urine, a run in the washing machine will make it smell like new. When it is a bowel movement, it depends. Most likely, if the BM is wet or mushy, pitch the underwear in the trash. But there may be occasions when few or no traces of BM are apparent and the underwear can be saved.

Encourage your child to wipe the seat when he or she is done. Since germs can be sprayed from the toilet flushing process and settle on the seat, teach children to wipe the toilet seat with toilet paper. Germs can be present whether the seat is wet or dry.

Teach your child how to wipe properly. Girls should wipe thoroughly from front to back to prevent bringing germs from the rectum to the vagina or bladder. Teach your little girl to go “pat, pat, pat” instead of wiping hard. This will help eliminate irritation or possible rashes.

Buy products that are gentle on children’s extra sensitive skin but also are strong and absorbent. For example, pre-moistened wipes are ideal for young users because they gently and effectively clean children’s delicate skin while providing the strength and absorbency to accomplish the task.

There are now tons and tons of these products on the market, so finding one shouldn’t be too difficult!

Show your child how to wash their hands. Hand washing and other hygiene practices actually do reduce the spread of disease. Use antibacterial soap and warm water. Scrub hands for about 15 seconds.

Some say that reciting the ABC song fully while washing your hands will get them clean enough. You can also teach your child to count to ten or say a rhyme while washing hands to help them gauge the right amount of time.
They should dry their hands on a towel (which should be laundered at least on a weekly basis). Hand washing should be routinely done, even if your child didn’t actually “go” in the potty. And don’t forget to wash YOUR hands, too.
Children need repeated reminders to close the toilet lid before flushing to avoid contact with germs that might spray up.

For easy potty chair clean up, place cling-wrap or a coffee-filter in the bowl before your child sits down. When they’re done, there’s minimal mess – just lift the wrap or filter out and throw it in the trash. Don’t flush the wrap and filter because it’s not biodegradable like toilet paper.

Clean the potty periodically with a bleach/water solution after each potty training session. To avoid cleaning carpets, place the potty on an easily cleaned floor or invest in a mat that can be cleaned to avoid any spillage on the carpets. One mom puts down painter’s plastic which is cheap to buy and easy to discard.

Your child may be curious and try to play with the feces. You can prevent this without making him or her feel upset by simply saying, “No. This is not something to be played with.”

While potty training, it’s a great time to teach your child (especially if a boy) to lower both the seat and the lid when they are finished as a necessary part of the ritual. Their future wives will you!

Washing hands can be difficult for your little one. They probably won’t be able to reach the bathroom sink, so that’s where the stool we talked about before can come in handy!

After your child has mastered daytime potty habits, it’s time to work on staying dry throughout the night!