Potty training 8 year old

[Chappason]

Need some suggestions of how to potty train 8 year old boy with ADHD and autism. He knows the full steps of what to do but just wlll not follow through. No wetting up self problems only with defecation. Tried rewards etc dont seem to work.

[Janiejo]

I’m going through the same thing with my 9 year old, except he has wetting issues too

[Chappason in reply to Janiejo]

Thanks for the feedback. Another parent shared that their boy stopped all by himself at around 9.5 years so have to keep the strategies going and hoping for a break through

[Janiejo in reply to Chappason]

Good luck! 🤗

[Mamamichl]

so he is fully potty trained with urine? My daughter has adhd and not autism and she is withholding to the point of pain. It’s partially she’s distracted but it’s also constipation. Usually the urge to poop is right after we eat, so maybe sit him on the toilet after each meal and read a booom like “everyone poops”. You can also have it where he only gets to use something when on the toilet. Several of my asd students struggle with this as well, so know you’re not in this bot alone.

[Chappason in reply to Mamamichl]

Yes the urine aspect is ok.Thanks for your feedback

[Peerandparent]

First, make sure he isn't constipated. We had issues with our kid, both urine and feces. It turned out that he had a block of constipation, and it was messing with his ability to notice when he needed to go. Without investigating we wouldn't have known, because he still had fecal matter bypassing the blockage.

What's frustrating for us isn't the accidents, though, but the fact that he seems perfectly content to stay in soiled underwear. We have to prompt him pretty much every time to go and deal with it.

[Chappason in reply to Peerandparent]

Thanks for your suggestion, will check on this

[Shortcake0681]

My son is 7.5 and we are still working through this. I was told it is partly due to his diet and his medication (focalin). There is a name for this condition and it is common with neurodivergent children. I tell him the accidents are because his body really wants it to come out and he is the gatekeeper. That way it gives him that sense of control. He will sit, use a step stool for a better position, and use his tablet to get his mind right. When he finally has success, the end result cannot even be flushed 😳. I monitor how much milk his has (his favorite) and I give him him fresh fruits and veggies to get more fiber. I know he doesn't like to hold it all in, so I include him in the efforts to "make healthy poop". He likes to take Smarty Pants multi vitamins with fiber. They have omega 3, b vitamins, and fiber to benefit ADHD minds.

I just really hope this phase ends... I feel like he is getting more successful each year. However, dealing with the accidents is not fun either. 😒

[Shortcake0681 in reply to Shortcake0681]

I also want to add that maybe if the reward is instantly gratifying, he'll have better success. I was desperate one night and he was in pain and he wanted it to come out but couldn't. We previously tried laxatives, stool softeners, etc. And on this night, he finally did it because I told him I would give him a $5 bill for his bank. He asked to see it. I put it on the bathroom counter and walked away. Within 5 min, he had a huge success 🙌.

[Chappason]

Wow. I thank you so much for sharing. Great ideas to consider and some consolidations. Thanks again, appreciate this.