Can they verbally let you know?
There was a time when I carried a small potty in my trunk—and a special bag for everything that came out of it. That little setup saw the side of every highway, playground, and parking lot within 100 miles.
Ah, potty training… Are we really doing this?
The first step is figuring out whether your child knows the difference between wet and dry.
Signs Your Child May Be Ready
Ask yourself:
Do they show any sign that they want or need to be changed?
Are they staying dry for at least two hours at a time?
Do they sense when they need to go #2?
Maybe they always go to the same corner of the house.
Maybe they grab a comfort item during this time.
These are all common readiness signs.
Preparing to Start Potty Training
Once you feel your child may be ready, you can begin the process. Potty training can feel overwhelming for many parents, but it doesn’t have to be.
Think about any physical challenges that might come up:
Can they pull their pants down quickly?
Can they get onto the toilet independently?
Can they communicate their need to go?
These skills can make a big difference.
Consider Sensory Challenges
Some children have difficulties with sound, light, or new environments.
Ask yourself:
Will the toilet flush scare them?
Is the toilet lid loud?
Is the bathroom also where they wash hands or take baths, which may already be stressful?
Preparing for these sensory obstacles ahead of time can help prevent setbacks.
Potty Training Children With Special Needs
Toilet training for children with special needs can be more challenging for many reasons. They might not respond to social praise the same way and may need other types of motivators.
A friend who spent years teaching in a special education classroom shared stories of helping children use the toilet successfully by offering bins of water to splash in after every success. They adjusted the schedule for days—keeping work tasks light, setting up activities near the bathroom, and staying consistent with wet/dry checks and quick trips back to the toilet.
Sometimes it turned into a full-on Potty Party, celebrating every win—no matter how small.
The trick is to look for the cues that show up when they have to go.
Do they go to a certain spot?
Do they start to wiggle a certain way?
Are they wet at certain times of the day?
Carefully look at their patterns of behaviour during this time and think of what their biggest motivators are. Those are the things you’ll want to set aside only for potty use. Visual cues usually work well. Implementing a chart for your child will help them to see what they need to do – FIRST, we pull down pants, THEN we sit down. You can also grab a timer and put 2 minutes on it. Limits like these are very helpful for children to see.
Amanda Frantz, a STEPS toilet training expert BCBA says “Don’t let the pull ups or diaper be a crutch! Trash the pull ups/diapers, bring on the underwear.”
Most importantly, remember to breathe! One step at a time and we will get there!