My Daughter Is Blind Does Anyone Have Any Suggestions for Potty Training?!

I'm sorry I haven't been here in a while. I'm a specialist in the school system for children with visual impairments. I have a link on my web site which I provide as a public service--paying for it's upkeep out of my pocket--because I am dedicated to our kids with visual impairments. I used to have a self-contained class of preemie born students who had other involvements that come from being born early besides blindness and low vision.

Before my children came to me they were seen by an early interventionist in the home from 0 to three years old. This specialist not only teaches the child but the parent learns techniques and methods which are particular to raising a child with visual impairments. They have invaluable skills and get to know your child so well that they can give pointers on such matters and more. Your local school system will be able to get you in touch with one.

First make sure she is ready and don't go by the ages that everyone tells you a child should be ready. Unless she has other involvements such as a cognitive delay then her age of readiness should not differ much from a sighted child--which is still quite individual.

Next, are you putting her on the big pot or a little potty? A big potty is scarry when you have no support under your little feet and you feel a big void behind you. We sit our kids with VI on the potty backwards so they can hold on to the back of the potty and feel more comfortable and in control. They were put on at the same time each day--timed with when they seemed to go daily. We used cloth trainers for feeling the wetness and associating wet trainers with having to potty.

Potty training can be messy at any rate and it requires much patience, but the bottom line is to take cues from her for when she is ready.
Oh, yes! My web site is http://www.kathyskids.org
Contact me any time. I have a link there to a message board where I answer a lot of question particular to children with visual differences.

I am not sure how old she is, but all children need positive reinforment of some kind while potty training. You may want to try to play music, sing a special potty song, or blow bubbles they are fun to feel. Then you can give M&M's as reward for potty. Give her some incentive. If you play music you may want to carry a portable CD player or MP3 player with you for when she is out. If you pick a song be sure to teach it to any othern caregivers. Good luck!

I do have a suggestion regarding potty training... DON'T DO IT! Seriously, you didn't mention how old she is, but please learn from MY mistakes. My mother only raised one kid (me) and she tried to convince me that she potty trained me at 11 months so I should do that with my kids too. Well, I raised five kids, and the oldest three still have problems to this day because of that "training" the oldest sucks her thumb, sleepwalks, and is a nervous wreck, (she is now 20) my second daughter (16) had hygine (toileting) problems, the third daughter (14) still wets the bed and has to use adult diapers. People who think they potty trained their kids at some ridiculous age actually just trained themselves (ever notice they are always the high-strung types?) to learn when their kids had to go.
After making my older children (and me) suffer all those years, I finally decided that the third child, (a boy) could go to school in diapers if he wanted to, I wouldn't be going thru all THAT again. Well, guess what? Have you ever seen a grown up (without mental defect) who wore diapers just so he didn't have to use the toilet? No, neither have I, in fact i never saw a kid do that either. When they get old enough to be in control of it, they take that diaper off and get on the toilet, just like that. My 4th and 5th child were diaper free by 4 1/2, right on time. Easy as pie.
It takes a lot of patience to parent a child, even more for a child with special needs. You didn't try to make her walk before she was ready, and when she was, remember, you couldn't have stopped her. It's the same with anything having to do with growing. They grow whether you want them to or not, but you can't make 'em grow any faster, and really, why would you want to?
Tori

How old is your daughter?
Perhaps she isn't ready.

hello, there is a school here in alabama for the deaf and blind. I'm going to see if they have a web site for you. Please email me your addy - ____@____.com I sent them an email they will probally contact me tues or wednesday, if not I will go to the school and ask for you.

T. R I need your email address, I have the information that you need. Alabama Institute for Deaf & Blind. Its there address and telephone number and a contact person for you to speak with.

You did not mention how old your daughter is. Is she receiving early intervention services (they serve 0-3 years of age). If she is that age SoonerStart has providers who can help with the communication and potty training issues. Otherwise, contact your local school district for support. SoonerStart is in each county of Oklahoma and is free of charge and home based. For the number in your area call OASIS at 1-800-426-2747, OKC Metro ###-###-####. They can also help you with school contacts should she be over 3 years of age.

Good luck.

I agree with what all these others moms said. I think that the timer method is the best. I had a hard time with daughter and she wasn't fully ready until she was almost 3. Since she is blind I know her hearing is more sensitive so playing a special song while she is in the potty or afterwards is a great idea. I worked in special ed in my high school and my mom was a special ed teacher so using her strengths is going to be a key move in teaching her new things. Good luck with the potty training!!!

First of all, how old is your daughter. Children with special needs tend to do things a little later than others, especially if the communication is behind. I have a deaf daughter and she didn't potty train until after she was 3. This was very frustrating for me, however, once she decided that she wanted to do it...she never had a accident (not even in bed). I think it's good to continue to take her on your schedule, maybe she will eventually learn that this is what she is supposed to do. Just be patient and consistent...Good luck!

Maybe she is not fully ready???
Does she go to school?
Maybe try other websites (CafeMom.com) to find other moms with disabled kids?
Good luck!

I'd do the training just like any other kid. Set a timer in the house for every 30 mins. Put her on the potty your self every 30 mins. If she goes, tell her she went potty. Cheer, shout hurray, sing a song, give her a favorite treat. Keep doing that until you can adjust the time a little longer, little longer. She may not know how to tell you and needs it very specific

T., I have a friend that has a little girl that is blind and they have started a chapter for visually impaired children in Northwest Arkansas. It is a great organization that can connect you to other parents that have been or going through raising a child that is visually impaired. I am not sure where you are located.

You can visit www.arkansasnapvi.org to find out more.

You can email me at ____@____.com if you need more info.

S.

We have a special needs granddaughter who has cerebral palsy. She was non-verbal for many years, even though she can talk now. Jennifer, her mom, learned sign language so she could communicate. When the boys were born 5 and 7 years later, Jennifer taught them sign language early. They could communicate even though they couldn't speak. It is amazing! God bless and keep you. I'll put you on my prayer list, if that's OK. L.

Hi T.,
My name is I. and I have a special needs/blind son. He is 22 years old and just graduated from High School this weekend. He, like your daughter, is truly a blessing. We couldn't get him potty trained until he was around 4 years old. Don't be discouraged though. I was told by a therapist that it is because everything around him he had no control over. But he did have control for when and where he went to the bathroom. One day it finally clicked. My suggestion would be just to re=enforce it every day and make a schedule/habit of it. Reward her with something special to her and that she doesn't get all the time. Give her something to do while sitting on the potty; Jon likes music, so we would play music. If she doesn't, then no reward. I found out that fussing or getting upset didn't help things. I know it get very frustrating at times, but hang in there and it will happen. My best advice is to Pray, Pray, and then Pray some more. Let me know if there is anything else I can do. Also, get in touch with your local organization for the blind. God Bless, I..

Azrin and Foxx have develped toilet-training methods that should work even for a blind child. The book is Toilet Training in Less Than a Day. They've also developed methods to train mentally retarded children and adults; training a blind child should be easier than training one who is mentally impared, so try reading their books.

T.

You did not state how old your daughter is. My daughter was 24 months and completely potty trained, but I did not even start until she woke up several mornings with a dry diaper. I continued for several days taking her to the bathroom at certain intervals. After a few days she just started going by herself. All children are different and will potty train at different levels. Just develop a lot of patience and take a day at a time. It is also a new experience for her.

Good Luck
S. Miller

Let us know how it goes.

My daughter is not blind but was having difficulty with potty training. One of the things Early Intervention taught us was to use a picture velcro-ed to the side of the toilet that she would tear off and bring me when she needed to potty. Maybe you could use an object on the back of the toilet (or on the kitchen table where she can get to it without assistance) that she could bring when she needs to go. She can hold it while she is on the potty. Something textural and stimulating for her. Also, we used the training panties with vinyl pants over them. This was a key for us. Found them at Target.

Train her like you would a sighted child. She just has to be shown were the potty is in the batthroom so she can find it.

Use the timer method to help you to remeber to put her on the potty till she can tell you she needs to go.

I found this online, I hope it answers your needs, or you can find someone here that can help.

http://www.afb.org/message_board_replies.asp?TopicID=1627...