However, what happens if your child is autistic? The problem is now compounded because if your child’s developmental issues. How big of an issue this becomes is determined on the parent.

It doesn’t have to be a tedious task. There are ways to make the process easier and get your child moving in the right direction. Here is a list of suggestions and things to look for to help you and your autistic child while potty training.

1. Don’t start potty training too early. You have to ensure the child is ready to start. Make sure they know the difference between a wet and a clean diaper. If they don’t understand this important difference, it might be too early to start potty training. Try explaining what a wet diaper is and see if your child can recognize it.

2. Being able to dress themselves is an important aspect. If your autistic child doesn’t know how to take his or her clothes off, potty training is going to be difficult through their clothing. Their motor skills might not be ready yet to start the process. Wait to potty train a child until they can dress themselves, which means being able to pull their pants on and off. This is going to make the process much easier.

3. Potty training doesn’t need to feel like a job for you or your autistic child. Create a reward program. Every time the child goes to the potty offer them something they are going to enjoy. Perhaps a favorite treat or a toy. Anyone else involved in the process should be made aware of the reward system. At the same time, don’t punish your child for an accident. This isn’t going to help the process and will only confuse your child. It’s not good to send mixed signals.

4. Learning your child’s schedule will be helpful. If you are keeping your child on a certain schedule throughout the day, they normally get their diaper changed at the same time. When this happens, sit your child down on the potty and have them go to the bathroom about the same time everyday. Schedules and routines are important to many children with autism. Having a potty schedule could help them in the process.

5. Be patient. This sounds a lot easier than it is, but patience is very important. Your child, and this goes for any child, may not get the hang of it right away. Don’t show frustration and don’t get angry because this might cause the child to regress in potty training.

6. Be consistent. Don’t keep switching from the potty to diapers. This will confuse your child and make it difficult to potty train.

7. Don’t stress out the child by forcing them on to the potty. You want them to get familiar with it for a few days. Keep it in the open where they can see it. By seeing it more often, they will get comfortable with the idea of it.

To reiterate, the single most important factor is patience. All of the other tips go with mom or dad being patient. It might take a few weeks for an autistic child to learn something new. If that’s the case, just stay positive and work with the child as best as you can.