Toileting

When should I choose this area of focus for my Gabadoo?

If you are looking for some guidance around helping your child learn how to use the toilet or you need some support around increasing your child or teenagers independence with toileting skills or hygiene, getting support from our team through Gabadoo can really help.

Must Read: If you have any concerns in relation to constipation or incontinence, you should seek a medical review with your family doctor/ G.P. or incontinence nurse prior to completing a Gabadoo to rule out any medical cause to your child's toileting difficulties. Our Gabadoo Team will not be providing any medical advice when it comes to your child's toileting skills.

So, what are the different areas & skills that I can get support and guidance around?

When and how to start the toileting training process.

Independence with toileting skills including requesting, wiping and washing.

Toilet seats, step stools or other equipment.

Re-establishing a toileting routine if there has been a regression.

Fear or anxiety relating to the toilet training process.

Difficulties moving to the next phase on the toilet training process. This can be a result of a number of factors including any of the below list:

Hiding to defecate or requesting a pull-up or nappy to defecate.
Refusing to sit on either the potty or toilet.
Refusing to urinate or defecate in their school setting.
Refusing to be wiped or to wipe themselves.
Anxiety relating to entering the bathroom.
Holding urine or bowel movements for long periods of time.

Menstrual cycle management or educating your child about menstruation.

If you are looking for support around one or more of these areas, when completing your Gabadoo, select Toileting & Hygiene as your Area of Focus.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

If your completing a Gabadoo because your child tends to avoid demands throughout the day including using the toilet but they can independently manage toilet when self-directed, it would be more appropriate to select Behaviour as your area of focus. Check out this blog to learn more.

If you're completing a Gabadoo because your child tends to engage in smearing while in the bathroom, it would be more appropriate to select Sensory Processing as your area of focus. Check out this blog post to learn more.

If you're completing a Gabadoo because your child finds wiping themselves difficult along with many other fine motor skills, it might be more appropriate to select Fine Motor Skills as your area of focus. Check out this blog post to learn more.

What information do I need to include in my Gabadoo?

As our Gabadoo Team have never met your family before and know nothing about your child, they can only provide strategies based on the information you provide, so be very detailed!

After you have filled in the relevant information in your Gabadoo, go through this checklist to make sure you have included the following:

Family & Home Life:

Description of your family structure, any significant changes to the family structure or circumstances during recent times.

A description of the bathroom(s) including windows, mirrors, lighting and whether there is a shower or bath.

Your daily routine including school hours, drop offs, child-care and free time in the evening and at the weekends so our team provide strategies that are achievable for your routine.

Strengths and Interests:

What does your child like to do?

What games, toys, T.V. programs, characters do they like?

Do they like books?

What motivates them?

Do they respond to praise from adults?

Additional Information:

What class is your child in at school?

What type of schooling do they receive? i.e. homeschooling, mainstream N.S., gaelscoil, preschool, ASD class, Special School.

Has your child seen any professionals in the past in relation to their toileting or menstruation? Or has your child ever had a medical review because of their toileting? If so, what was the outcome?

Make sure to include:

What toileting skill you would like support around (see list above) and what level your child is at with this skill? E.g. sitting on toilet comfortably but hasn't passed urine or bowel movements.

What would you like to gain from this Gabadoo?

What you have tried before in relation to this area of toileting or hygiene? What worked well? What didn't work well? Was there a certain point when your child started to struggle? Was there any family stressors or big changes or transitions (e.g. a new sibling, change house, start school etc.) that may have hindered your previous attempts with this skill?

Next include videos and images of your child relating to this skill however do not include videos or images where your child or teenager is nude.

Instead include relevant images including a picture of the bathroom, school/pre-school toilet, the toilet seat used or potty, step stool etc.

Also include videos of your child (fully clothed) maneuvering on and off the toilet so we can review their motor skills relating to toileting.

Remember: The more information you give our team, the more individualised and relevant your plan will be.

What support will I receive for my child?

Your information will be reviewed by one of our Gabadoo Experts who is experienced in the area of 'toileting'. They will detail individualised strategies, activities, next steps and helpful organisations and products that you can use at home to develop your child's toileting skills at home.