POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT PLLC
Toileting and Self-Care Skills
TOILETING AND SELF-CARE SKILLS
TOILETING AND SELF-CARE SKILLS
The areas of toilet training and self-care can be a challenge for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Every child is different, but many with ASD learn to use the toilet at a late age. Many also struggle with hand washing, tooth brushing, and other independent self-care tasks.
As with other challenges, our professionals are equipped to observe and assess in order to determine what barriers may be interfering with learning these skills. Once barriers are identified, appropriate interventions may be planned and put in place.
One commonly used technique for learning self-care skills is discrete trial training. This is a method of instruction that breaks one large task into small, achievable chunks or individual tasks. Positive reinforcement also plays a large role in discrete trial training, as is typical in ABA treatment planning. For example, the task of using the toilet may be broken down into the steps below, and positive reinforcement may be given for each step accomplished. This reinforcement might take the form of verbal encouragement, small rewards, or points earned towards a larger reward.
Individual Steps for Potty Training
1. Go into the bathroom.
2. Shut the door.
3. Undress from the waist down
4. Sit down on the toilet.
5. Eliminate.
6. Wipe.
7. Flush.
8. Get dressed.
(Followed by steps for washing one’s hands.)
It is important to consider whether or not the child has the capacity to accomplish each separate step of the task as a whole before beginning working on the task. This means if a child is not yet able to dress and undress, he may not yet be ready to undertake potty training. It is also important to be certain that there are no underlying medical problems that may interfere with toilet training.