Going to the Potty For Boys

To Parents and Special Educators: Many children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience difficulties with daily life activities such as toileting. This activity can be especially difficult for those children who have sensory issues, and who lack body awareness. The purpose of life skills stories is to describe the experience in a step-by-step format in order to reduce the child’s anxiety about the activity; life skills stories also state the behavior you expect from the child in a positive, upbeat way. How to use a life skills story: Life skills stories should be presented in a quiet and relaxed setting. Until the child becomes comfortable with the toileting routine, the parent should plan on reading the life skills story at least three times a day prior to toileting. By including the story in the daily routine, the child will know what to expect, and should become less anxious and more confident about this essential self-care activity. It is also extremely helpful to keep a toileting schedule so that the child has more opportunities to be successful. Supplementing the life skills story with other toileting books and videos will also reinforce the desired behavior. Although it is a matter of personal preference, toileting tends to go faster if the child wears regular underwear as much as possible rather than pull-ups. Please note: It has been the authors’ experience when working on toileting skills for boys with ASDs that it works best to start off sitting down to urinate. This may not be the case with your child, so try standing if sitting is not working out.