DS5 w Sensory - toilet regression - Post 4 Success!

[JamesMom]

Ok folks, hope you can help. Sorry for the length

My DS5 is in mainstream Kindy and is doing quite well. Over the summer we worked with him on toileting skills and FINALLY got him to stay clean during the day and so far so good until...

The last month or so he has been regressing. Dirty underwear multiple times a day. He doesn't resist the toilet, but he seems to forget to go. I am not talking loads, but smelly smears. This weekend was the last straw for my DH. Not five minutes after we asked if he needed to go "shake" (his codeword for #2) did he dirty his underwear. The crazy thing is this only happens at home. He has yet to soil at school where he spends about 8 hours a day.

What is concerning me (other than the obvious) is that I took him and my NT DS8 to the zoo yesterday. We get in the car and DS5 has his blanket with him. When he was little he carried that thing EVERYWHERE with him, even into the pool at the hotel when he was three. He has left it at home for the last year or so. So imagine my shock when I see him in the backseat with his thumb in his mouth and the blanket wraped around his legs. Add the toileting issue and he is three years old again!

A bolt of recall entered my mind. When I was pregnant I remember reading that older kids can regress, (esp toileting skills) when a new baby arrives. Well, we did just adopt a new puppy right about 2 weeks ago. Now, DS5 LOVES the puppy - chases it around, wants to carry it, sleep with it, etc. But is the same issue or am I overthinking (as usual).

We had been using rewards to mold his behavior. His usual WAS candy and after Halloween he could earn candy at night after staying 'clean' all day --that lasted for 3 days! For the last 5 days he doesn't care. He claims he doesn't want candy so the Halloween candy is growing stale. His next love is XBOX so starting today that will be the 'carrot'. He can play for 30 minutes before bed IF he stays clean.

I am thinking of resorting back to old tactics of toileting all over again - no underwear, sit on toilet every 30 minutes etc. We are very frustrated and don't understand why he is like this at home while he can manage at school just fine. He was doing so well...

Any thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

ETA: he has been healthy, too. No stomach bug or diaherra or rash. No new foods other than cheese pizza (which he has only begun to eat again inthe last two weeks - whole other post - see old threads)

 

[bookwormde]

A lot of times it is a combination of sensory differnetials and lack of social impetus. Since this relates to a disability punishement is never approriate. There are more an more cases where it has been found have less have less than a full complemet of nerve structure in the bowel, so they not only have hypo sensitivity in the nerves but just plain less of them. At 5 this is not uncommon for our kids, particularly those with a higher than average sensory differential.

Providing videos and approaching it form and the intellectual practicality and impact sometimes helps.

bookwormde

 

[SmallWorld71]

My DD7 has some mild sensory issues. One of the ways she deals with overstimulation is by sucking her thumb while holding her lovey. Whenever there are stresses in her life: school starting, Halloween (a major stress for sensory kids!) etc... she spends a lot of extra time sucking her thumb when she is at home and carrying that smelly lovey everywhere. Even though your DS is doing well in the mainstream K, it may take a lot on his part to behave all day long. I think that that in and of itself, combined with the puppy, could be your source of difficulty. I wish I had a solution for you, but I think that the more matter of fact you are about the whole thing, the better off you may be. Good luck.

 

[JamesMom]

OP, here.

Just wanted to follow up. I found his button. The next day I followed through on what I wrote here - toilet check every 30 minutes and if he was clean he got to play Xbox before bed. Like magic - he has been clean ever since -- four days now! Still don't know what his issue was before but we'll take what we have now. Thanks for all those who read my gripe. Have a great weekend!

 

[SmallWorld71]

OP, here.

Just wanted to follow up. I found his button. The next day I followed through on what I wrote here - toilet check every 30 minutes and if he was clean he got to play Xbox before bed. Like magic - he has been clean ever since -- four days now! Still don't know what his issue was before but we'll take what we have now. Thanks for all those who read my gripe. Have a great weekend!

Glad things are going well.

 

[bookwormde]

It is a memorable day for all of us when our kids get past this issue.

bookwormde

 

[tabithakp]

when I read the op it made me tear up. I could have written it. Im sorry your going thru this but i'm thankful im not alone. the fact that ds6 can hold it all day at school but have 5 accidents a day at home is soooo hard.