How do I know if my autistic child is ready for potty training?

Potty training is a significant milestone for any child and for parents of autistic children, this process can present unique challenges. Understanding the specific needs and behaviours of your child is crucial to developing an effective potty training strategy. In this blog, we explore how to know when it is time to start potty training your autistic child.

Signs of potty training readiness

Lots of children show signs of “readiness” when it's time to start toilet training. These might be things like:

• Staying dry for longer stretches (at least two hours during the day)

• Telling you when they have done a wee or a poo

• Taking themselves to be alone when they have a wee or poo in their nappy

• Showing more interest in the toilet

• Attempting to take off their nappy when it is full

• Showing more discomfort than they have previously when their nappy is full 

If your child is showing any of these signs, it's a good indicator that they might be ready to start potty training.

Do readiness signs look different for autistic children?

Autistic children may not display the same signs or potty training readiness as their neurotypical peers. Communication difficulties may mean that they aren’t able to tell you when they are wet. Sensory differences may mean that they don’t know the difference between feeling wet and dry, or don’t find a full nappy uncomfortable. They may be fearful of going into the bathroom or sitting on the toilet. They may have sensitivities to the lights in the room or the sound of the flush. Autistic children often experience the world differently, with heightened sensitivities and distinct communication styles. You know your child best, so think about if their behaviours in relation to toileting and their nappies have changed recently, these changes may be readiness signs that look slightly different to the ones already mentioned.

What if there are no signs of potty training readiness?

You might be reading this thinking, “my child is not showing any signs of readiness for potty training at all, does that mean I shouldn’t start potty training?”. The answer is not necessarily, no. Depending on your child’s age, you may want to wait a bit longer for some of those signs to emerge. Most children start potty training between 18 and 24 months, so if you are still within that window, its ok to wait a bit longer. Just because your child is a certain age, doesn’t mean that you should start to potty train them, however if you want to start potty training and they are around 3 years old or older, you don’t need to wait until you’ve noticed some readiness signs. It is completely ok to introduce potty training before your child starts to engage in signs of potty training readiness.

So what now?

You’ve established that either you or your child is ready to start potty training, now your question is probably “where do I start?”. Don’t worry we’ve got you covered! Check out our blog on how to start potty training.