Potty Learning & ADHD + SID

[Asquaredmom]

My 5 yo, Zoe, hasn't learned to use the potty by herself yet.

Poor DH has taken on this task, esp. since I have injured my back and cannot sit comfortably most of the time, nor lean over, nor squat.

It seems to me that she is not able to attend to the sensations of having to go. She hasn't gone for hours, we see her grab her crotch, tell her it looks like she has to pee, and she often refuses to sit on the potty, then a few minutes later she pees in her pants..:

Today she peed on the couch whille watching TV, and outside while playiing. She usually has at least one success a day


The only way we have been able to make even a little progress is to promise her a present for each success. She loves ripping open packages, and even the "old" toys DH drags up from the basement thrill her when wrapped in newspaper.:

We have been so preocuppied w/Zoe's other health/behavioral issues we have really let this slide, but kindergarten is coming up in a month and we'd really like her to not have to have this come up as a huge difference between her and the rest of her class.

TIA for any insights, suggestions, etc., you may have...

Sincerely,

[Mommasgirls]

Well my oldest Samantha has ADHD and what we did was let her run around in dresses with no underwear on when she was at home. She was 4 at the time and it took about 2 months for her to make the potty most of the time. Good luck!

[Asquaredmom]

We have Zoe in dresses w/underwear most of the time.

I don't think she has initiated sitting on the potty for pee more than once or twice.

Zoe often pees in her undies while playing on the computer or watching TV.

I don't think that wearing undies interferes w/"getting to the potty in time."

At school and daycare she has to wear a diaper/pullups. At home she only wears a diaper at night.

Zoe, since birth, never minded being in a wet or dirty diaper, so there might be a sensory component to her "problem."


How did you get started?

Do you still/did you prompt your DD to go?

How do you keep her on the potty until something happens?

Did you use rewards?

Thanks!

[Lovebugsmommy]

What I've done when pt or pl is we take the kids every hour and after every meal/snack. high praise stickers, stamps whatever, small rewards but that means every hour day and night. it takes the kids I train about a week.

(I worked in daycare and as a nanny so I've pt about 25 kids.)

just make it a habit for her to sit on that potty,

not to scare her but wont most schools not let you start k unless they are potty trained? won't that be a little motivation for her?

[Lovebugsmommy]

What I've done when pt or pl is we take the kids every hour and after every meal/snack. high praise stickers, stamps whatever, small rewards but that means every hour day and night. it takes the kids I train about a week.

(I worked in daycare and as a nanny so I've pt about 25 kids.)

just make it a habit for her to sit on that potty,

not to scare her but wont most schools not let you start k unless they are potty trained? won't that be a little motivation for her?


How did you get started?

I would just say today is the day we are going to work very hard to use the potty all the time.

Do you still/did you prompt your DD to go?
I would prompt her for a long while... like weeks/months until she's asking you to go
How do you keep her on the potty until something happens?
I wouldn't make her sit there for a half hour if that's what you mean but 15 minutes running water in the tap or other "motivational" techniques.... (letting her drink a lot that day so she has lots of "sucessess"
Did you use rewards?
yup but nothing expesive... go buy yourself a rubber stamp and a stamp pad. and let her get a stamp or 10 when she goes.

[Asquaredmom]

It's still hit and miss with Zoe.

This afternoon she peed on the bathroom floor when she went in for some toys. There she was, hollering for her father to help her, in her puddle, right next to the toilet. He had been trying to get her on the toilet for a couple of hours.

Remember, she is ADHD and probably SID. Any ideas specifically for ADHD kids?

We cannot force her to sit on the potty. She is 5 and can put up a good fight. Most of the time, our encouragement and enticements (offer of rewards) do not work.

We expect her to wear pull ups (yeah, disposies ) in kindergarten. Like I said before, she can usually make it to the potty for a poop.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[joesmom]

will the kindergarten LET her wear pullups? if so, i think that is great. & if she has adhd & sid, i might just... wait, until she is ready? would that work for you at all? my friend's daughter has autism. just turned six, & is NOT potty trained.

i just think if she has these other issues, maybe she is just not ready.

my son has no delays & just potty-trained @ 4.5. i did not push him, he trained when HE was ready.

of course, encouragement & praise is fine!

HTH.

love, jenny

[Asquaredmom]

We had an IEP w/the principal, pt, and teachers. They did not come out and say she would not be accepted w/o potty learning.

They said they have to and will provide her w/a full time classroom aide, due to her ADHD.

[Stacie]

This is gonna sound strange. But I have a child with Autism who did not use the potty on his own untill I began giving him Cod Liver Oil. After a week he said "my belly feels better" and after two weeks he trained himself at age 6!!!

The reason I think this worked is because of two reasons, 1) he had no natural stores of clo, which is an essential fatty acid, in his brain. Once the stores were up, that part of the brain was able to function. 2) he had a live measles virus in his gut and could not feel the urge to go because of pain. ClO will kill measles.

It may be worth a try.

[lilyka]

i would start by keeping a chart to see about how often she goes. No pressure for about a week while you are just observing. Also watch to see what she is doing, any cues, record that too if you notice. you need to help her recoganize her cues. Also help her learn that sometimes she isn't going to feel the need but that she needs to try and pee anyway. At 5 she is old enough to understand that.

it seems like there are a lot of distractions and funner things to do than sit on the can. Easy enough. eliminate the distractions. Once you have made your list get a feel for how often she pees. Explain to her that she needs to sit on the potty and go before she can watch TV, play computer or go outside or do whatever else it is she wants to do. My dd has SID and I swear the girl cannot do anything at all while the TV is on. She just gets totally sucked in.

You dd may not be able to feel the urge or perhaps she just can't tear herself away from what she is doing. she is however old enough to know that she needs to attend to some things and capable of doing it.

lets say she pees about every 2 to 3 hours. Every two hours turn off what she is doing (even if she protests), make her come insde whatever. Make sure there is nothing distracting her from the task at hand. Nothing more fun than sitting on the potty. maybe have some books inthe bathroom, a gameboy or a leap pad. somehting fun because she may be willing to sit there longer. Ask her to sit and try to pee and then she can go back to what she was doing. If she pees on the floor have her help you clean it up. Be persistant.

It is fine if she doesn't recognize the need to pee. She needs to learn though that this is just something that has to be done. If she can't notice her own cues then she just needs to be routien about it. you can learn her cues and help her recoganize them. "hey when you start twitcing like that it usually means that you have to pee. Lets go try. - next time you feel that way run to the bathroom. see if you can beat me there."

keep offering rewards and stuff. this is harder for her but it isn't impossible.

And if you do hget her into a good routien before school starts you should definitely let her teacher know so that she can work with you.

[Els' 3 Ones]

I had the same problem with my ds not wanting to sit on the potty - I think we had not had enough success yet. He has down syndrome.

Just 5 weeks ago I started with the "bare butt program" and it has worked like a charm!! I found over the past 8 months that anytime I put anything against his butt he goes in his pants. Since he is bare bottomed he can go to the potty himself (he has already) or he is much more willing to sit for us. I use M & M's or stickers as a reward and we are already at a place that he does not get one every time. He still is mostly peeing although he has pooped a couple of times in the potty.

Once he was doing it consistently he wanted to sit w/no problem.

Since you have a girl being bare under the dress at home wont too bothersome - we had to warn all the neighbors to expect to see nakkie-butt. Only one has a little problem with it so I keep him away from her.

He is 4.5 yo.


El