Incontinence is often prevalent in children with autism due to common delays in potty training. Some nonverbal children with autism may also not be able to communicate the need to use the restroom, resulting in unwanted accidents.
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with rigidities, anxiety or sensory preferences may establish a pattern of holding urine and stool, which places them at high risk of developing bladder bowel dysfunction (BBD). BBD, despite being common, is often unrecognised in children with ASD.
Children with autism can experience urge incontinence if there is a disconnect between the muscles in the bladder and the brain. The signal exchange between the bladder and the brain that notifies a person that they need to use the restroom may be impaired due to autism.
There are some autistic characteristics that can lead to difficulties with learning to use the toilet (Wheeler, 2007; Coucouvanis, 2008). Some of the language and communication around toileting can be confusing. They may not understand what you are asking them to do or could take things very literally.
Summary. Children with autism will sometimes take off their clothes if they find them uncomfortable or distressing. While this is also true of typical kids, children with autism may continue to do so at a later age. Part of the reason for this is that they don't pick up on emotional cues as typical children do.
Children with an ASD are not vigilant and do not look up to the caregiver for social referencing. They may not cling to the caregiver, although go up to them for succor. However, some cling to the caregiver because of extreme anxiety.
Many children with autism take longer than is typical to learn how to use the toilet. This delay can stem from a variety of reasons. Many children with autism have a general developmental delay. That is, they simply learn new skills more slowly than other children do.
For some children on the autism spectrum, this can involve overwhelming or otherwise unpleasant sensory experiences. Common examples include the loud flush of the toilet, the feel of a cold, hard toilet seat or an unsteadiness on the toilet seat that leads to a fear of falling in or off the toilet.
The average age in which a child is successfully toileting was 3.3 years of age for children with autism in comparison to 2.5 years of age for children with other developmental disabilities (Williams, Oliver, Allard, & Sears, 2003).
SENSORY ISSUES
Many children with ASD experience significant sensory sensitivities & struggle to manage the sensory input that they receive. This may include a dislike of the noise made by toilets, the sensation of passing urine/faeces, a cold toilet seat, or a preoccupation with water in the toilet.
In some cases, individuals with autism may experience urge incontinence, where they don't realize the need to urinate until they feel a sudden, unexpected urge, and the bladder contracts when it shouldn't.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, behaviorally defined, neurodevelopmental disorder that has been modeled as a brain-based disease. The behavioral and cognitive features of ASD are associated with pervasive atypicalities in the central nervous system (CNS).
They learn to do this early in life by overriding the normal tendency of the sphincter to relax; they forcibly contract their sphincter instead and prevent urine from escaping. This forced contraction to hold urine back is a normal reaction and not particularly harmful.
Water helps those sphincter muscles to relax and release. When you're trying to get your child to sit longer on the potty AND relax and release their pee, it helps to have some water play activity. The sound and feeling of water can help trigger a pee release during potty training.
On average, children with ADHD scored an 11 on a questionnaire gauging urinary tract symptoms -- including bedwetting and habitually feeling an urgent need to urinate or to “hold” it in.
Some children with autism may start talking at 12-16 months. Most don't start talking until later. Some will start talking between the ages of 2-3 years. Other children talk even later, and some children never learn to talk.
(ASD). There are many reasons why it can take a long time. Many children with ASD learn to use the toilet at a late age. Most children with ASD learn to urinate and have bowel movements in the toilet later than other children (Tsai, Stewart, & August, 1981).
ASD level 3 is characterized by severe challenges in social communication as well as extremely inflexible behavior. Children with level 3 autism will be nonverbal or have the use of only a few words of intelligible speech. Initiation of social interaction is very limited, as well as response to others.
Many children with autism are drawn to water for its calming, sensory experience. In fact, a 2015 study[1] found that children with ASD enjoy swimming significantly more than children without ASD. And while water can present a safety concern, water play and swimming also offer several benefits for children with ASD.
As you've seen, living spaces can become extremely cluttered when a person has trouble parting with his or her favorite “stuff.” It's also very common for people with autism to become extremely distressed if others rearrange or throw away their items.
Children with autism are more likely to experience bedwetting than their neurotypical peers, and there are several factors that may contribute to this. It is important for parents to be aware of this connection and to seek support if their child is struggling with bedwetting.
If your child fears the toilet, help them not to be afraid. This can be done by taking them to the bathroom and having them sit on the toilet or play around it, with the lid open or closed, with their clothes on — just to get comfortable around the toilet. Take peeing and pooping one step at a time.
Heightened Sensory Issues
Children on the spectrum are often hypersensitive to environmental stimuli. And considering that bathing involves several simultaneous actions, it can be confusing and emotionally stressful for them.