A common behavior with Autistic children, or kids with special needs, is fecal smearing. Although it may seem like your child thinks this is fun to do, fecal smearing has serious health risks and can cause real damage to your property. The terrible anxiety it causes you as a parent or guardian is beyond description, but something can be done about it! Whether it is intentional or accidental, we must look into all avenues to stop this behavior. You should always start with the least restrictive first.

Tip #1 

Literally give them fiber gummies from walmart. They look like the candy “dots” and taste like candy. I love this! It won’t give them cramps, It doesn’t cause an upset tummy. Some of the side effects of other brands can cause discomfort. Try it yourself. I usually try everything myself because my non-verbal child can’t tell me how he feels. This added to their morning medication or routine will assist in their routine with poo.They will usually go by 3 or 4 pm if you give them Fiber gummies in the morning. Sometimes if they are backed up and they don’t go. Keep giving them fiber every morning until they go. Then once they are on a routine then their body will be on a routine of pooping. I usually give my children 3 gummies. These are only for the children who have trouble.

I start with the biggest secret because it’s the most important. These gummy’s have been tried on all my children and it took me years to find them. They also provide these children with the perfect poo. Believe me some fiber options make their poo pasty or too loose and these two are the worst to clean up. (If they are backed up sometimes it will start out loose then go to form and might hurt the first time until they are regular.) Keep them regular on their liquids also. This will help with fully toilet training. Before doing the data add the fiber to their morning.

Most people have a bowel movement around the same time every day. So in order to help us to more fully understand when this is most likely to occur with our child, we must take accurate data and record the times of day when your child has a bowel movement for three days.

 

Then, after reviewing that collected data, we could see his/her regular schedule of times which he/she was more likely to defecate is within the hour from 1pm to 2pm. So place them on the toilet at 1pm. If they didn’t go. Then try again at 1:30pm and so on.

When he/she has a bowel movement in the toilet, reward them with praise, either with clapping and saying “right on!”, I sing my own song to Curits, “Poo Poo in the toil’et, Poo poo in the toil’et” with an edible treat. Curtis liked M & M’s. They must receive positive attention from you. Make sure you still mark it down until they are in a regular routine.

One more important thing! 

When they do a smear, pay them no mind. No eye contact, no noises, just be a monotone. Any type of interaction could turn into a reward. Only do this while cleaning him/her and the room up. Then after you are all done. Then go outside and cry.. But don’t show them any reaction.  Only give a positive reaction when they pee or poo in the toilet.

I have been able to get my non-verbal 23 year old, who has a mind of a 10 month old baby toilet trained, but it is called tripped trained *. Tripped Trained: Is when you can get your child in such a great routine. That they hold everything until the morning. Put them on the toilet and they go. After lunch, put them on the toilet and they go. After 3 oclock snacks, put them on the toilet and they go. After dinner, put them on the toilet and they go. Then before bed time, put them on the toilet and they go. And usually their accidents are because someone forgot to put them on the toilet.

Tip #2   

The most important thing is to rip out the carpet!! In your child’s room. The institutions were I worked had no carpet, so when a client smeared feces, we washed it up easily. I know many people don’t want to rip out their son’s or daughter’s carpet.  Believe me you will thank yourself for listening to me. Nothing like trying to clean out ground in feces out of carpets and trying to get out that smell. Along with all the times you went to get your kids up from playing in their rooms and you find a big wet spot from the diaper leakage. Go to your local Lowes and get a floor kit and start a new project of simplifying your life. This is the best alternative!

Tip #3

Buy tighty whities and buy them snug. After placing the diaper on, put on tighty whities on and this will help for fecal leakage if there should be a bowel movement. I even send my child to school with underwear over their diaper to help them out. Sometimes that stuff can drop right down the legs then we have a bigger mess on our hands. We don’t want our children to get embarrassed at school for leaking their diapers.

Tip #4 

Go buy onesie PJs.This is for the children who find a “new toy” in their pants. Put the onesie on backwards and zip them up. Make sure they don’t have feet in them, and if they do,cut them off. Winter is the best time of year to find these in all stores and in all sizes. Even in the men’s department for those bigger kids. This will help them from having wandering hands. If you have a child that is known for ripping up their onesie. Then spend the money to purchase a ‘no-rip jump suit from this website http://adaptiveclothingshowroom.com  I get no kick back, look through their items it might be worth it.

Side Note: In the state of Washington, a child at the age of 3 year, who is not toilet trained may get a prescription from their pediatrician to have diapers paid for from either your health insurance or DSHS. However, the state diapers are cheap. If you are unhappy with the diapers they send you. Call them and ask for samples. They are happy to accommodate. So check your state or insurance to see where your child might be covered. Or try the top ten we have chosen https://normallifeinc.com/autism-awareness-blog/10-best-adult-diapers-available-for-sale-in-2020/

I hoped we helped. Please give a review and brag about toilet training your child! Please if this doesn’t work let us know. Every child is different. Please join our group on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/autismarmy many of us have already raised our children and it’s a nice place to vent if needed, along with many ideas from other parents. Join us on you tube and Subscribe Here is a link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YtbMDK3JK8&t=20s