Those of you who have been there know that toilet training a child with special needs is a delicate, complex, and utterly exhausting process. Did I mention long, too?
Many of our kiddos worked on this over the summer in their respective programs and made tremendous progress.*
But it ain’t over till it’s over till you have a practical way of implementing this newly acquired skill in all of your child’s environments, whether it be camp, home, or school.
For kids with any special needs, carrying over new skills — especially a difficult one like toileting — into new environments is a struggle. But for children challenged with physical disabilities, this process is all the more difficult, as accessibility is often woefully lacking.
Read on for some great products and devices that make it possible!
*If you’re the parent of a child who worked on this over the summer and didn’t make tremendous progress, know that you are not alone. There are hundreds of others dealing with the identical frustrating situation… and each of you deserves a gold medal for your patience, perseverance, and positivity. Truly.
Looking for some fresh ideas and tips that you haven’t yet tried?
Refer to our previous newsletter on the topic of toilet training here.
For those who just need a little extra “something”
Some kids are almost good to go, but their balance is just not adequate for remaining in an upright sitting position independently on the toilet, even with a classic children’s toilet seat for added comfort.
For a little extra support, consider this great toilet seat/ladder combo, which provides a low seatback, helpful handles for gripping, and a footrest:
Sometimes (often) it’s not the kid, but the bathroom. When you’ve got limited space for maneuvering inside the bathroom, and we’re working with a child who is mobility-challenged, getting into position takes not just a finely-tuned dexterous ability (on the caregiver’s part, I mean), but also several extra minutes — which you don’t always have in an urgent situation.
For those who rely on wheelchairs to get around but don’t need much upper body support, consider getting a basic commode that rolls over the toilet. This way, you can do the transfer outside the bathroom if necessary, and then wheel right into position. Many of these can double as a basic shower chair. Here’s one popular option (adult-sized):
And for those who need an extra everything…
While the above options work well for many children with physical disabilities, those who aren’t capable of sitting independently usually require something more specialized.
One option that a happy parent shared with us is the Firefly GottaGo seat. This lightweight piece of equipment features a deep, bucket-type squat seat for optimal toileting. It’s very supportive, and it’s also easy to store. The best part — families have successfully gotten the Firefly GottaGo covered by their child’s insurance!
Although it’s a great option for children, the Firefly GottaGo is a small item, so most children do eventually grow out of it. It comes in two sizes — Size 1, which fits children aged approximately 2-5, and Size 2, for children aged 4-9.
An alternative product (also often covered by insurance) is the Rifton Hygiene and Toileting System. Though it’s a kinda clunky piece and admittedly has that “medical” look, the Rifton HTS does the job for many. As the name implies, it doubles as a shower chair. The Rifton HTS has many adjustable support components, such as a headrest, harness, hip guides, and tilting ability; it’s quite a customizable piece of equipment. It comes in 3 sizes — the Small HTS for young children, the Medium HTS for older children and young teenagers, and the Large HTS for teens and adults.
Both the Firefly GottaGo and the Rifton HTS have the option of attaching a commode pan when necessary. For some kids (and some houses), a stationary commode is a more practical arrangement then transferring in and out of the bathroom.
For easy and sanitary cleanup, there are many commode liners available on the market, some of better quality than others. Lunderg is a popular brand choice for commode liners:
Lunderg also produces a cool product called commode pads. These are scented, absorbent pads that can be placed inside the commode pan before use. The coolest feature is that the pad automatically turns all liquids into a solid gel-like consistency within seconds, preventing unpleasant leaks or spills when removing the liner. Besides for making cleanup easier, the pad also also masks offensive odors.
Bathroom Modifications
Even with all of the above ideas, if your bathroom is poorly designed from an accessibility aspect, you might be considering doing some renovations. Refer to our previous newsletter on the topic of home modifications here for advice and resources.
Mrs. Sonnenfeld had heard about several local special ed preschool options, but she wasn’t sure which would be the best fit for Adina, her daughter with special needs. She called Ezreinu and received helpful guidance in selecting a great preschool for Adina for the upcoming school year.
Perry, a young adult with special needs, does not do well with schedule changes and noisy places, so her parents made the decision that it would be better for her not to attend a certain family simcha. Perry’s mother reached out to Ezreinu and was sent an experienced volunteer to care for Perry so that her parents could attend the simcha with piece of mind.
Identifying details have been changed to protect client confidentiality.