Tinkletoonz training pants sensors | Autism PDD
Thanks for this info, Norway Mom! I don't feel like we are anywhere close to
training time, but when it does happen, this is defenitely something I'll
check out. She loves music, perhaps the potty & the sensor would be some
motivation? I'd love to hear if anyone else tried it.You're welcome, Elle22. I thought it sounded like such a great idea -- if my kids weren't trained yet, I'd try it myself! They only cost per sensor, plus shipping/handling. I might try it, that is a good idea. I am starting to get a little desperate on the potty training thing, they will be 5 in a few months, I would like them trained before that. I think they get the idea, but thanks to past teachers they have a huge fear of the potty. 
that is too funny, stickboy26!
The sensor is "self-contained" computer chip - meaning the battery is sealed off, and you can't access or change the battery, obviously a safety-related choice.
The website says "order directly from the manufacturer", and they're located in Canada, but whether that means that all components are made in Canada, I really don't know.
Of course their regular potty chair is an option, but you could always put a sensor in any potty chair you choose. If your child is stalled out on potty training, this might give things a boost.
However, the manufacturer says the potty chair seems less successful than the training pants option for autistic children, which is why they're working on their own training pants with disposable liner (still in product testing). I found a little more information on it on another page of their website:
"The potty training of AUTISTIC CHILDREN (and other related disorders) has been only somewhat successful with our potty...HOWEVER.....over the past couple of years we have been working with some therapists and autistic children ranging in age from 3 years to 15 years, utilizing a TRAINING PANT WITH A BUILT-IN MUSICAL ELEMENT and we are having some astonishing results!! The "music" lets the therapist know right away that the child has "gone".....and they are able to teach the association of being "wet" with the need to go to the bathroom or potty, depending on the childs age."
Source: http://www.tinkletoonz.com/faq_dev_slow.html
Great. I've suddenly thought of two things that we've never sang about Old MacDonald having on his farm before -- and yet with all those animals around there's no doubt he's had both of these things on his farm all along...
Any parent willing to give it a test run?
The first thing that crossed my mind when I read this was how people would react to my kid's nether regions suddenly playing music!
Gdanes -- Your son could be disconcerted by the reflection in the glass. Any problem with mirrors?
Under the topic "on phobias", Stickboy gave us some good insight on how fears start. They usually start because of a strong, unexpected reaction from another person, and the child with autism starts avoiding the object because he's afraid of another reaction. I can easily see that happening with a door. If he used to open doors, maybe one time he went through a door that he wasn't supposed to -- for example going outside without permission. The adult was upset, but he didn't really understand what all the fuss was about, and concluded that doors were dangerous. Doors with glass usually lead to the outside.
A similar possibility would be that he was banging something against a glass door once. Again, an adult might come down like a ton of bricks about that behavior, and result in a fear reaction.
Here's a social story about doors, more for older kids but you could maybe at least use the pictures to talk about doors.
http://attainmentcompany.com/pdfs/bookSamples/LSR_Sample.pdf
It's too bad that he won't pee standing up, but maybe the sensor would help him break out of the sitting routine.
see i thought the whole potty alarm idea was freat, however now I wonder if would be like pavlovs dog and he'd pee everytime he heard music.? Already, if you remind him to go to the toilet beofre he's wet, it's almost llike he pees before he gets there. Like the power of suggestion.... do you know what i mean? Ok..I checked out the site. I think my son would actually think it was funny to hear the music in his pants and it would encourage him to pee in them.I thought the potty idea was great for him, but it looks like a small toddler size one and William wouldn't fit. I wonder if I could alter the pants or the potty with a regular size toilet?
I just read where someone made a comment about it going off in public. hehehehe
Apparently I'm way behind on my reading. Geez.. I stay home 24-7 and I still can't keep up with you guys! 2 great danes, 3 kids and a message board is apparently more than I can handle.
I got a visual of William walking through walmart and his pants going off. LOL
He has a really good sense of humor so I'm not sure if he would be embarrassed or if he would start dancing and laughing. He loves Old McDonald! heheh
Maybe I could cut the pants open and tape them to the toilet so he could have something to aim at and a goal to reach..
Hrmmm...
That's a good point, gdanes, that the music could be reinforcing for some kids, which would overpower the alerting function of the sensor.
I agree that the potty chair is too small -- even for an average 3 year old, I would think. Therefore I think it would work better to buy the sensor separately and use it in a bigger potty.
One alternative would be to have boys stand and pee in a container that sits on top of the toilet seat cover, with the sensor inside. Then gradually transition to peeing directly into the toilet.
I started lol when I read this because my mom had something like this for my brother when he was younger. He was pt for awhile but when he went to preschool he regressed and started wetting his bed every night. So, my mom bought the "pee alarm" as she called it. It was great in concept, but the funny thing was that the alarm would go off (high-pitched awful sound) and would wake everyone up in the house except...you guessed it, my brother. He would just sleep through it and wet his pants anyway.
I know that's a side story, but I had to mention it.
Btw, the training pants aren't available yet. You just buy the sensor and use your own training pants (they give some tips on the website).ohhhhhhh! So I could just tape it in the toilet! Perfect! hehe [QUOTE=NorwayMom]
One alternative would be to have boys stand and pee in a container that sits on top of the toilet seat cover, with the sensor inside. Then gradually transition to peeing directly into the toilet.
[/QUOTE]
I had William standing to pee when he first started using the potty, but the ladies at the school started making him sit to pee. I was so mad. Now I can't get him to stand at all.. When he pee's it sometimes go flying out the crack between the toilet and the seat..its just wonderful..
Wish I could let William go pee in that teachers floor a few times..lol
She had a good point as far as sitting making the poop issue easier, but William has only pooped in the potty twice so far. Once was when I made him sit on it for hours and he did a tiny little turtle for me. LOL
Then the second time was when his fathers family came to town. They thought it was fine to put William in the bathroom, shut the door and tell him to go potty.
So he sat down and did the whole nine yards, but he also finger painted with the poop after he got bored.
They didn't realize William doesn't open doors.
Even at 8 years old..if you close a door he WILL NOT open it for any reason.
He hates doors that have glass in them and his dads door does..so he's constantly dodging and hiding from the door when he walks through the living room.
Not sure why..
Tinkletoonz musical potty chairs are now selling the musical sensor separately, which you can put in the child's training pants. It tells you as soon as the pants are wet, so you can take the child to the bathroom immediately to help them learn to they would eventually associate and connect the fact of peeing and going to the actual toilet.
http://www.tinkletoonz.com/special_needs.html
Sounds like a good idea. Has anyone tried it?
Its interesting to watch how he reacts to the glass door.
He runs into the room from the hallway peeks around the entertainment center like he's dodging getting shot or something. Then he sprints across the living room to his safe point, which is the couch or he darts into the kitchen. Once he's out of the line of fire he's fine.
I'll go read that story. :)
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