Don't pee on my couch

I have been reading other mom's blogs about their daily lives of learning to raise a healthy and happy aspie child(ren).  One mom said she wanted to figure out how to get her aspie son to use the toilet.  That comment brought back memories of me trying everything in the book to get my aspie son toilet trained.  Mind you this was before I even knew he had aspergers.

I was at wits end.  I'd tried every trick in the book and then some.  I had spent late nights searching the internet for that one secret to reveal itself.  But alas, it never did.  My child was going to be entering preschool soon, but the preschools won't take a child unless he is potty trained.  Plus, my child is unusually large for his age--not fat, just a big kid.  He was at the point that if he didn't learn to use the toilet I was going to have to buy him adult diapers!  So you can imagine the urgency and distress I felt.

So what did I do?  I had one last option.  It was a do or die option.  An option that would either cause an unimaginable mess or save the day--go without diapers or underwear or pants of any type.  Just run around the house naked!!!  I took off his pull-ups and said, "Go free, young man.  Go free!"  He looked at me like I had lost my mind.  Perhaps I had.  But he turned and went on his merry little way with his cute little bum for all the house to see.  30 minutes later he cried out, "Mommy!!!!  I need to pee pee!!!"  He's holding himself and pointing to his pull-ups.  "Nope," I say, feeling anxious and wondering if I should run for the carpet cleaner and towels.  He says, "But mommy!!!!  I have to pee!!!!  Please!!!!".  I replied, "Your only choice is to either hold it or go sit on the toilet."  "Hold it", he said.  Uh-oh, I thought.  A few minutes later I heard him peeing in the toilet.  You can imagine my relief and surprise.  I praised him and showered him with hugs and kisses.  After that he always used the toilet.  Of course, I made him run around the house naked for at least a week to be on the safe side.


The only downside seems to be that to this day he still feels the need to run around the house naked.  So we are constantly telling him this isn't a nudist zone, and please put on your underwear.  Could be worse though. He could be peeing on our couch.  ;)