SATB2 Potty Training

Method- Rapid Toilet Training (RTT)

1.    Start with 30 minute intervals (30 minutes on, 5 minutes off potty)

a.    Use FUN and ENGAGING activities

b.    If she goes on the potty, she immediately gets a 5 minute break

2.    After a few successes, move to 25 minutes on the potty, 10 minutes off

3.    20 minutes on, 15 minutes off

4.    Put a chair 2 feet from the potty, and repeat the same schedule as above, and unless Chelsea doesn’t go to the potty when she needs to pee, move the chair 2 feet further away with each session, until 20 feet away, and then remove

5.    Change reinforcers and start fading prizes- 3 times/ day for a prize, 5-10 times for a prize, etc.

6.    Use other potties

To-Do Prior to Starting

       Make a chart to track progress (this is for your sanity, not a reward chart for your child)- time, activity, notes, potty

       Write up a social story with pictures of Chelsea

       Gather potty books to read

       Check out or purchase potty videos (Elmo, Potty Time, etc)

       Put together a box of 50-100 activities (some can be multiples of the same (puzzles, different princess magnetic dress-ups, stickers and paper, coloring books) 

       Plan/ prep all the activities

       Prize bucket (little prizes for pee, big prizes for poop- underwear, treats, dress-up from yard sales, necklaces, dollar store stuff. Totally worth it to me to drop $60 to potty train my kid!)

       Make a clean-up bucket (paper towels, cleaner, extra outfits for you and kid, towels)

       Get salty snacks and drinks!

       Pre-make meals and snacks

       Ship off other kids if possible so you can focus totally on potty training

 

Several of Chelsea's prizes were yard

sale outfits. She is a little fashionista!

Notes

v  Give as much of whatever Chelsea likes to drink, plus salty snacks to help her stay thirsty (aim for 4-6 ounces an hour, but don’t force it)

v  When Chelsea goes in the potty, give LOTS of praise and prizes

v  If Chelsea goes potty anywhere else, clean her up quickly and silently, keep a neutral reaction

v  If she starts going, put her on the potty quick before she finishes! If she finishes on the potty (even a drop counts!) it counts as a success, and show her excitedly how she CAN go potty

v  Naked waist down to watch that rear end for any deposits!

v  Pour warm water over bum while she is sitting. It helps with the sensation of peeing

v  AVOID screen time as much as possible!!! A few reasons why: 1) High amounts of TV coorelate to more complex partial seizure activity in brain, which also leads to weakened bladder/ bowel control and 2) When Chelsea is focused on the TV or iPad, she doesn’t focus on her body signals, and won’t even realize she is going. But after we had some successes, I would give her short videos (7ish minute episodes) for when she requested potty, or tried to get on. She is HIGHLY motivated by iPad, so this was a great reward for her!

 

Chelsea teaching Minnie Mouse how to go potty and reading

Activities (rotate every 15 minutes, even if changing the puzzle or magnetic princess set)

1.    Build a straw, blow bubbles in drink

2.    Read potty books

3.    Paint nails (and blow to dry them!)

4.    Fancy hairdos

5.    Magnetic princesses

6.    Other books

7.    Blow up balloons

8.    Melissa and Doug re-useable sticker scenes

9.    Sing princess songs

10. Hanger clothespin ABC game

11. Blow on party blower thing

12. Scratch off drawings

13. SHORT Minnie Mouse episode

14. Dress-up barbies

15. Thread beads to make bracelets

Sensory bin puzzle time!

16. Craft stick name match

17. Silly String Sensory Play

18. Coloring books- color then cut up

19. Work on flash cards

20. Read target sight words

21. Expandable tube- telephone, crown, make letters, marble run, balloon catcher, basketball hoop

22. Princess Memory

23. Dance party to celebrate success

24. Lights off, shine flashlight on sight words

25. Puzzles

26. Play guess what I am thinking

27. Talk about pictures- what are they doing, who is this, which one is doing ____

28. Sensory bin puzzles (hide pieces in bin)

29. Bubbles

30. Bath (while Mommy cleans the bathroom)

31. Painting in a bag

Paint in a bag, just toss when done!

32. Stickers on paper

33. Play Bingo

34. Play Candyland or other board games

35. Catch and throw balloons (easier to track and harder to fall in the potty)

36. Velcro name, practice writing name, trace letters

37. Call Grandma to report progress

38. Get the mail (during a break)

39. Lacing boards

40. Princesses go potty (work on “___ go potty” with toy flushing potty)

41. Call Daddy

 

Chelsea was on a big princess puzzle kicki

How Chelsea Did

Day 1- Chelsea was actually a little sick the first day, but we couldn’t put potty training off- I had already arranged for my husband and son to take a long weekend out of state. That day, she peed 8 times, half in the potty by the time she finished, and the rest on the floor. She also peed in her activity box, so learn from me and keep it higher up than the floor.

Day 2- Chelsea did lots more standing today (yesterday it was mostly sitting on the potty), and starting moving to the potty when she was about to start. She peed 16 times (5 on floor, 11 in potty), and pooped once. We learned that tying her shirt tight makes her feel what is happening better, and keeps my eyes right on that her bum, to watch for any accidental deposits on the floor. We also learned that pouring warm water over her while she sat on the potty helped with the sensation of peeing. She also learned that if she waited for the 1 minute that I had to go potty, she could go on the floor without being snatched up and put on the potty (which scares her a little). She also had her first poop on the potty! She started going on the floor, but I snatched her up in the nick of time so that it fell into the potty.

Day 3- We still stayed in the bathroom doing a puzzle marathon today, but did venture outside a couple times for her 10-15 minute breaks, to get the mail, or go down the slide a few times. Her potty tracking was 6 times peeing (4 in potty, 2 floor), and pooped twice (she requested once and made it, the other time missed her signal and it landed on the floor). She wasn’t thirsty at all today, and I had HUGE amounts of anxiety, thinking that she would pee any second we left the bathroom for those quick breaks. I was totally freaking out that she went about 10 fewer times than yesterday.

Day 4- Only 5 times total today, but she went in the potty every time except right before bed. She even woke up dry that morning, and went right to the potty! I took her every 10 minutes to try, and after about 2 hours, would turn on the faucet and pour water on her, which helped. Right before bed, we were playing and I forgot to take her to try, so she went in her undies. My bad.

A brief outdoor excursion to our apt park

Day 5- Woke up wet, and had 4 accidents, and just 2 successes, still taking her every 10-15 minutes (which, by the way, still feels like you live in the bathroom) Several of the accidents happened about a minute after I took her off the potty. One of the times she went in the potty, she had said potty, then screamed hysterically while she peed, and I had to hold her on the potty until she was done. For several of the accidents, she would wait until I had to go, then pee in the 30 seconds that I was using the toilet. One of the others, she peed on the slide outside. Additionally, her little brother came back home, and had multiple accidents of his own after seeing that Chelsea didn’t get in trouble for HER accidents. Seriously discouraging day, and I cried for about an hour, convinced that my child would never learn to use the potty, and wondered if I was just wasting my time trying to teach her.

Day 6- Despite her waking up poopy, I took her potty every 15 minutes with religious dedication, and had a determinedly positive attitude because of the horrible day before. It paid off! She went potty 10 times, and 8 times made it into the potty, with just 2 accidents, but she signed “accident” each time, and realized that it was supposed to go in the potty! I noticed that she would act scared of the potty right before she went. She got her average of sitting on the potty down to 3-5 minutes before she went.

Day 7- We aren’t pouring water as much, but turning the faucet on still helps, so we do that. The trickling water helps her remember to potty, and I noticed her focusing right before she peed in the potty! She IS learning! Today, she had 3 accidents (one was my fault for not taking her- I struck up a conversation with an actual adult, and missed my timer), but she also had 8 successes!!! Hooray! She also told me about her accidents after she had them, which is still progress- she is noticing and reporting, and trying to get to the potty most of the time!!!

Day 8- All 11 attempts were successes! More focusing, and she even went right away a few times!

Later- She still took a LONG time to get successful with pooping in the potty consistently. It wasn’t until we moved and had a great school team that helped her at school that she finally got the pooping part. Having a great special ed teacher makes all the difference!!!