I have been listening or actually reading this discussion.  I want to add
something that my parents and I feel strongly about when it comes to pottie
training a child either with or without a disability.  We feel that you must
push using the toilet everywhere a child goes, you can't only train just in
a school or rehab setting or take breaks from trying to train them because
it wouldn't be very effective.  If you're a therapist or a teacher, if I
were you, I would definitely sit down with the parents to tell them that
they must be part of the process totally because it can't be just a school
thing and/or a rehab thing, you must all work together to be successful.

Thanks,
Anthony
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Elizabeth H. Thiers
  To: [log in to unmask]
  Sent: Monday, October 29, 2001 12:36 PM
  Subject: Re: Pottie question


  Hi Kristina,
  There can be a lot of reasons children don't potty train so, excuse the
long
  email.  Usually this comes up a lot for us OT's and now and days the joke
is
  the kids save it all for when Ms. Beth comes to visit.  Something about
all
  that jumping up and down on balls and stuff.
  As always, we start with medical reasons, constipation, diarrhea, urinary
  tract infections, yeast infections and the like.  These are sometimes
  painful and make going potty not so fun.  If she was a premie she may
still
  be getting over being born with an immature gastrointestinal tract and
  nervous system.  Talk with your doc about these concerns
  Next, how does she sit on the toilet.  Is she secure, legs on the ground,
  able to hold on etc.  It's not fun to go when your trying not to fall in.
  Does she have any sensory problems?  Hyper- or hyposensitivity? She may be
  scared of the noises elimination makes in the toilet.  Is the seat too
cold?
  Discuss this with your local OT.  I hope she is still seeing an OT?  This
  would be a great school goal.  Will potty independently!  Is she low tone
in
  the trunk?  Poor abdomenal strength and posture make it hard to know when
to
  go.
  Note when she is most apt to go.  And take her before she goes.  Get into
a
  habit of sitting her on the potty every couple of hours.  Play around,
read
  the book "Everybody Poops", etc.
  Sorry if I've repeated anything you may have tried but, I just wanted to
get
  out some general ideas.  Hope they help.

  Beth the OT
  email address: [log in to unmask]


  -----Original Message-----
  From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
  [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Kristina Fallon
  Sent: Monday, October 29, 2001 9:06 AM
  To: [log in to unmask]
  Subject: Pottie question


  How old were your kids when the got pottie trained?  My girl will be 6
next
  week and still won't tell us.  We have worked on it for a year.  We try
for
  a
  few months and give it a break then try again.  She is  smart but I don't
  know if she can tell she has to go or not.  She was a preemie and is only
at
  a mental age of aobut 4 but....
  I also know between 4 and 10 is the range with CP for pottie training but
I
  was jjust wondering.
  Thanks- Kristina