Are you ready to potty train your child with Down syndrome? Forget the list that tells you if your
child is ready to start potty training. Let’s focus on you! When you are well prepared, the whole
process will go smoothly, and you will be able to meet your child at whatever level they are not
Walking, not talking, not a problem; they can start now.
A New Mindset
Having a child with Down syndrome can change how you view many things and your outlook on
life. Let’s put your new perspective to use, changing your thoughts about potty training. Think
about potty training like you would your child learning to walk. You know it may take longer for
your child to walk than for a typically developing child. Your child is likely receiving Physical
Therapy to address motor delays. Your child probably has a speech therapist to work on your
child’s speech and language delays. Consider potty training a long process that needs extra
support to reach your goal, like walking or talking.
Take it from someone who has broken most of the standard potty training “rules” to potty train
many children with Down syndrome. Throw out the old rules, throw out everything you know
about potty training, and let’s get really real about potty training a child with Down syndrome.
● It will take time, up to two years (for some kids). During this one to two year potty training
process, your child will wear a diaper most of the time.
● After two weeks of no wet or soiled diapers, your child can start to practice wearing
underwear. Your child can wear underwear for a few hours on a Saturday morning. Your
child can practice underwear at home and wear a diaper when out and about.
● It is ok to have an unsuccessful day. Dry your child off and try again tomorrow.
● It is ok to prioritize other things (but keep practicing) until you are ready to make potty
training a priority.
● You will need to make adjustments every time your child’s schedule changes. You must
communicate your child’s potty training needs to other caregivers.
● You will need to manage any constipation issues your child may have
● Many children with Down syndrome struggle with constipation. Constipation can cause
urinary incontinence and makes bowel movements unpredictable. Talk with your child’s
doctor about how to manage your child’s constipation.
● You will need to watch your child for any “tells” that they need to “go,”; things like
bouncing, crossing legs, hiding, or squatting. Parents of all newly potty trained children
watch for these “tells” and remind their child to go to the bathroom. The time when
parents are guiding/teaching will last longer for your child with Down syndrome.
● If your child needs extra support but can go weeks without any accidents, consider your
child potty trained. This is what some people refer to as schedule trained. This is a
colossal success and should be celebrated! It will not end here. Your child will eventually
tell you and others when they need to “go.”
● Give yourself grace!
Are you feeling overwhelmed or defeated? Don’t let this s**t, (pun intended) get you down.
Working within a different framework will help you manage your expectations, decrease
frustration, and increase your success. Potty training your child can be a positive and rewarding
experience for you and your child.
What Does Scheduled Trained Mean for My Family
What does scheduled potty training look like? I can tell you that this does not mean your child
will need to go like clockwork every 1 – 2 hours. Many things affect the times your child will need
to “go.” Here are some things that will affect your child’s need to “go” how much they have
drunk, the level of activity they are doing, the type of foods they ate, the amount of food they
ate, and the amount of fluid lost through breathing and perspiration. Certain medications can
also affect their need to urinate. Constipation can cause urinary incontinence and cause
unpredictable bowel movements. Needless to say, it is not as easy as taking them every hour.
Taking data for two weeks to find patterns will help you be more successful. I use our daily
schedule to help guide our potty training routine. Most students must go potty 10 – 20 minutes
after morning snack. If we give kids juice instead of water, they will likely drink it more quickly, so
that day, they may need to use the bathroom 5 – 10 minutes after snack. Some ways to help
improve your success are to have your child wake up at the same time every day and eat meals
and snacks at the same time every day.
During the beginning stage of potty training, do not give unlimited water or a drink they can carry
around with them.
Sample Potty Training Schedule
- First thing when they wake up, are they wet or dry? If dry, this is probably a great time to try to go. Ideally, they will have 20 minutes to try. If they are wet, I would still try. If they are wet and their diaper is really warm because they just went, it might be wise to try in 20 to 30 min or wait until after breakfast.
- Give breakfast at the same time every day. 5 – 20 minutes after breakfast. Check your child’s diaper right before breakfast; if wet, even if it is just a tiny bit, change them. After breakfast, check your child’s diaper. If they are dry, wait 5 minutes and put them on the potty chair. Give them up to 20 minutes. If they are just a little bit wet, put them on the potty chair immediately and give them 20 minutes. If they are very wet, change diapers, wait 10 minutes, then put them on the potty chair. Give them 20 minutes to go.
● If your child continuously goes potty while eating breakfast, you will need to put them on the potty halfway through and give them 20 minutes to go potty before finishing breakfast. - Give morning snacks at the same time every day. Check your child’s diaper before a snack; if wet, even if it is just a tiny bit, change them. After a snack, check your child’s diaper. If they are dry, wait 5 minutes and put them on the potty chair. Give them up to 20 minutes. If they are just a little bit wet, put them on the potty chair immediately and give them 20 minutes. If they are very wet, change diapers, wait 10 minutes, then put them on the potty chair. Give them 20 minutes to go.
● If your child continues to potty while eating snacks, you will need to put them on the potty halfway through. Give 20 minutes to go potty, then finish the snack. - Give lunch at the same time every day. Check your child’s diaper before lunch; if wet, even if it is just a tiny bit, change them. After lunch, check your child’s diaper. If they are dry, wait 5 minutes and put them on the potty chair. Give them up to 20 minutes. If they are just a little bit wet, put them on the potty chair immediately and give them 20 minutes. If they are very wet, change diapers, wait 10 minutes, then put them on the potty chair. Give them 20 minutes to go.
- Give afternoon snacks at the same time every day. Check your child’s diaper before a snack; if wet, even if it is just a tiny bit, change them. After a snack, check your child’s diaper. If they are dry, wait 5 minutes and put them on the potty chair. Give them up to 20 minutes. If they are just a little bit wet, put them on the potty chair immediately and give them 20 minutes. If they are very wet, change diapers, wait 10 minutes, then put them on the potty chair. Give them 20 minutes to go.
This is a sample, and you must adjust the times to your child’s needs. This is the process that I
start with for all my students. As time goes by, we make adjustments until students are dry
during all class periods. Do not feel like you have to start with all these different times of the day
or are limited to these times. You can pick one time of day and work until they successfully go
on the potty once a day, then add additional times as your schedule allows.
Good Times To “Go”
Use natural transitions in your day to guide potty times. When you use a transition time, you
reduce the times you pull your child from a preferred activity to use the bathroom. This will
reduce frustration for your child. Just make potty breaks part of your routine. Say to your child,
“before/after X; you need to try to go potty.” Here are some transitions that work well for potty
training.
● Before bathtime
● Before breakfast
● Before you watch a movie
● Before you go outside
● After you come inside
● When we get home
● Before going to the park
● When you are done playing with X, you need to go potty before you get out another toy
to play with.
● After snacks or meals, say, “you need to sit on the potty chair before you go play.”
After reading this, I hope I have given you enough information to change your mindset around
potty training. Now that your mind is in the right place, start learning more about our potty
training program by reading our guidebook, A Practical Guide to Potty Training.
I know you may feel desperate, and your time is precious, so I am honored that you have
allowed me to be a part of your child’s potty training journey. I know your child can do this, and
you are precisely the right person to help them! You’ve got this!
