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About Michelle Fattig
Expertise
I can answer questions about educational testing, autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, Special Education, IEP, Learning Disabilities, Sensory Processing, Parent Advocacy, Response to Intervention, living and parenting with disabilities, parent rights in special education, school psychology, and more. I cannot provide a medical diagnosis.

Experience
I am a school psychologist, medical technologist, author of the Annie Books series: Experience Aspeger's Syndrome and Attention Deficits Through the Eyes of a Child, RTI facilitator, ILCD facilitator, parent advocate, presenter, and researcher. My children and I have Asperger's, ADD/ADHD, and learning disabilities.

Organizations
National Association of School Pyschologists, American Medical Technologists, Learning Disabilities Association of Nebraska

Education/Credentials
Ed.S. in School Psychology, doctoral studies in SPED Law, SPED Systems Enhancement Leadership, and doctoral candidate Education Leadership. MT(AMT) and MLT(ASCP)

You are here: Experts > Parenting/Family > Parenting Special Needs > Autism > potty training

Autism - potty training

Expert: Michelle Fattig - 9/9/2008

Question
Our almost 4 yr old son Jake is diagnosed with autism he gets help in the normal spanisch school were he started january this year! Potty training is nog going well and i dont know what to do any more he does not want to sit on the toilet or potty, he gets very nervous when he needs to go cause he does not want to be near a toilet i put him a nappy on so he can do his thing and then i take it off again this goes normally fine but even in with a nappy he can postpone his pee for a very very long time yesterday almost 7 hours i am very worried!!! Could you help me?

Answer
It is very common for children with autism to be potty-training resistant or unsuccessful. Some of the issues may be sensory related (scared of the flushing noise, scared to sit unbalanced on the potty chair) or it can be an issue of holding it so often that they lose the sensation of "having to go." You can ask the school's occupational therapist to do a sensory profile and give you some helpful suggestions on reducing the sensory overload and the school psychologist could give you some help in developing a positive behavioral support plan. Early childhood teachers can also help with the process. The following are websites with helpful information.

http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/EDSPC715_MCINTYRE/Autism&Toileting.html

http://www.teacch.com/toilet.html

Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

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