Our toilet training occupational therapy services support children and families through what can be a stressful and challenging time. Grace Children’s Therapy is a toilet training specialist Sydney and Castle Hill families have trusted for years.
Each child’s needs will differ, and there is no single pathway to toilet training, which is why it’s important to have an in-depth discussion, review, and evaluate the correct pathway forward with an occupational therapist.
Being able to go to the toilet independently is an important life skill and sometimes may take longer than expected, particularly if you have a child with additional needs. Taking one step at a time and having someone to help guide you through the process may help to reduce the stress that is sometimes associated with toilet training.
Our toilet training occupational therapy and consultative approach will assist us in identifying the following factors for consideration:
Factors that Contribute to Toilet Training
- Family History of kidney, bladder and bowel conditions or dysfunction
- Infections
- Constipation
- Mobility needs
- Communication needs
- Low Muscle Tone
- Family History of bedwetting
- Infrequent voiding
- Feeding difficulties or food avoidance issues
- Anxiety around using the toilet
- Environment considerations
- Sensory aversions or avoidance behaviours
Skills Required for Successful Toilet Training Include
- Awareness levels
- Ability to communicate
- Ability to hold
- Co-operation to go to the toilet
- Ability to follow instructions
- Motor planning and sequencing
- Functional ability to perform the steps to go to the toilet, e.g., dressing/undressing, wiping.
Toilet Training Occupational Therapy: Is Your Child Ready?
- Your child expresses curiosity and watches others go to the toilet.
- Your child’s nappy stays dry for up to 2 hours.
- They may be resistant to wearing a nappy, or they are inclined to take their nappy off after it’s wet or soiled.
- Your child starts to communicate that they have done a wee or a poo, or indicates they need to do a wee or a poo.
- They can sit in one position for up to 2-5 minutes.
Goal Setting for Toilet Training
Our toilet training occupational therapy approach focuses on clear, achievable goal setting. When it comes to toilet training, it’s important to set clear, achievable goals.
Once we evaluate your child’s toileting stage, your occupational therapist can assist with chunking down to smaller, realistic, and achievable goals and help keep you and your child on track. Even though the process can be frustrating at times, it’s important to remember that children all learn in different ways and at different paces, and there may be factors affecting their ability to progress toward their toileting goals.
Once a goal is determined, your occupational therapist can help to work out actionable tasks to achieve those smaller, bite size goals. The aim is to have everyone involved on the same page; this could include spouses, grandparents, toilet training educators, and other members of your allied health or medical intervention team.
Next Steps
Find out more about our toilet training occupational therapy services by contacting us here or calling us on 1300 760 779.
