Poop Training 6 year old

[AGriffen]

Hello,

My son is 6 and is high functioning ASD.

He is pretty well pee trained but he refuses to even go in the bathroom when he has to poop.

He always stands, usually retreating to a quiet place.

We have been trying to train him for years and his stools are softer and pass fairly easily compared with when he was a toddler.

He will "correct" us and say "go pee in the toilet" when we talk about pooping.

We can't even get him to poop in a diaper sitting or to poop in the bathroom standing.

One big problem is he as pooped at school three times in his underwear this month already. That is potentially a very big issue, as most support workers won't change poops but just call me to take him home, which can be traumatizing for him as he waits in soiled cloths and the staff who just say no when he asks them to change him.

Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance!

AG

 

[tree]

https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Set-Potty-Developmental-Disorders/dp/1849058334
Written for a younger age:
https://www.thebump.com/a/best-potty-training-books
https://www.readbrightly.com/potty-training-books-for-kids-and-their-parents/Includes one by Mr. Rogers.

 

[Aspychata]

https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/fecal-incontinence
This really goes in to detail. So perhaps read to the end. They discuss certain foods to help, and give ideas to the type of issues kids can face.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

May be an anxiety issue. not sure how to do this alone he may need a buddy to go with him to washroom show him how to go.

 

[MNAus]

This is probably not simple potty training or similar. Problems going to the toilet are not uncommon with ASD kids, who will tend to hold it up for a long time, leading to leaks and accidents when they can't hold it any longer. There can be MANY reasons for this and it can be tricky to deal with. Do you have any support workers in place? It could well need a sustained, persistent effort (e.g. having him sit on the toilet a few times a day, reward charts, using Parachoc or similar). He may have a bit of a vicious circle where holding it back causes it to become larger and so giving strong sensation, discomfort or even pain to pass, which causes more holding back. If you have a paediatrician I'd advise you to have a chat with them and put a strategy in place. You might need to tackle from a few directions (physical sensations, emotional responses, social etiquette, noticing/distraction).

Also, all the best, I know this is something that can cause a lot of concern. It can definitely be sorted with parents committed to a bit of a long haul.