Any tips/tricks?

[mandyque]

Two of the biggest issues we are having at the moment is after C goes to bed at night. She has a stable door which is locked at the bottom and the top half is open so that she stays safe and I can keep an eye on her.

 

The biggest problem is that she smears poo in there. It has gone on for a long time now and everything I've tried has failed. I am onto damage limitation now, she has lino on the floor so it's easily cleaned and more hygienic and OT are arranging a better, non slip flooring as soon as possible. I have discussed the issue with OT and also her community nurse and so far the techniques and tips that aren't working are as follows:

 

I stay in the room next door to hers and quickly make her go to the toilet if I catch her in the act. She holds it in until she is back in the room and will still poo in there.

 

I clear it up with as little fuss and attention as possible, I thought perhaps she used it as an excuse to go in the shower so I only wash the parts of her that are dirty now to minimise the water fun Then she is put straight back in her room while I clean up the mess and dry her off so that she is not getting an excuse to go downstairs with the TV, computer, toys etc.

 

Community nurse suggested we close off all routes but the one to the bathroom so she had direct access, but OT agreed that could put her in more danger and more scope for mischief, water in the toilet, bath and sink, taps and bottles of shampoo etc to play with and also more space to smear poo

 

I've tried making a huge fuss when she does do it on the toilet and ignoring the times she doesn't but that makes no difference. She isn't phobic of the toilet, it doesn't bother her in the least when she does poo on it and she asks to go with no problems during the day.

 

I just don't know what to do and neither, it seems, do the professionals

 

The other issue, not as bad but just as head battering is when she lays on the floor and kicks her bedroom door over and over again. The banging noise is unbearable but she loves it. I simply can't think of a way of getting her to stop at all, she loves me telling her to stop it and will shout 'TOP IT TOP IT' like it's a huge joke I can't remove the door, or her legs (lol) so what do I do?????

 

Sorry this is a bit long but any ideas would be gratefully received. Bit of background, she is low functioning autistic, non-verbal apart from echolalia and a very small number of words and no understanding if I tried to explain things to her.

[Viper]

Hi Mandy.

I don't know about the poo thing but could you buy thick foam to put on the door, cover with plastic to ensure easy cleaning. It may lessen the noise of kicking and in the long run she may realise it's not so much fun without the noise. I think you can buy it from a market or an upholsterers.

 

Just had an idea about the poo smearing, could you put a nappy on backwards (if she wears them) and maybe an all in one suit, backwards too so she can't get at it. It might be a bit hot right now so maybe leave it untill it's colder, by the warm weather next year she may have forgotten about it.

 

Sorry if that's no help, I am sure someone else will be along with sugestions soon.

 

Viper.

[Guest Trinity]

Hi mandy I hope you are finding this site useful the people are all in the same situation or have similar problems just a short note to say that I am thinking of you and hope that you don't get too stressed!! keep on going I know it is stressful sometimes love youxxx <'>

[mandyque]

Hi trinity <'> Hope you and yours are well

 

Viper, thanks but she has been out of nappies for 2 years now and even if I superglued them to her she would tear them to shreds to get them off. She is AKA Houdini and can get out of anything you put her in

 

I feel awful because I get suggestions from people and I spot the problems straight away, I feel like I'm criticising when I've asked for their help but it's pointless trying something that has already been tried or I just know it won't work. So frustrating, I'm sure a lot of parents here find the same

[elainem]

Hi Mandyque,

 

do you think it could be sensory thing, she likes the feeling on her hands? Don't know what you could do in place but sure your OT would have some ideas.

 

Elaine

[bid]

Hi

 

There's another longish thread on this topic, I'm sure...

 

I think it was mentioned that smearing may be because the child doesn't like the feeling of poo, and is trying to get rid of it, hence the smearing??

 

I can't do links, but if you use the Search thingy you might find the original thread...

 

Good luck!

 

Bid

[mandyque]

It could be sensory, or that she likes the foot patterns she makes on the floor and walls with it She treads it with her feet all over, when she gets that far without me catching her at it I'm just at a loss what to do about it. We've had two good nights where she actually went to the toilet but now I've said that it's bound to go wrong

[nellie]

Mandy,

 

You have my sympathy, we have never had this problem but I can imagine it must be really difficult. I hope you find some useful tips in the following links.

 

I think this is the topic that Bid means.

 

Toilet training a 4 year old

http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.ph...t=60entry7592

 

A couple of links to the NAS

Toilet training

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=367&a=3366

 

(This NAS page mentions smearing being a sensory problem)

The sensory world of the autistic spectrum

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=299&a=3766

 

Nellie xx

[Viper]

Hi Mandy.

 

Don't worry if my idea was no good. I know just how you feel about people giving you sugestions and you finding fault with it. I have the same thing all the time, my son is afraid of the loo and to cut a long story short, the school he is starting (or not) in sept, have said he can't go in nappies.

 

I get well meaning people giving advice all the time and you feel so bad when you know it won't work, I even try to sound possitive sometimes just so I don't feel bad. The thing is we know our kids and we know what will work, all we need now is a sugestion that we can feel positive about.

 

Did the foam idea have spark of usefulness in it?

 

Viper.

[mandyque]

It did make sense viper, might be one I can discuss with OT, I'm no good at DIY or anything like that and my efforts would doubtlessly be torn to shreds by my little darling so I'll suggest it to them and see what they say.

[lorryw]

Hi Mandy

If you put smearing in the search engine at the top of this page it will give you a list of previous threads dealing with the subject.

Have you thought of removing your daughters door we had the same probs with our son constantly opening and slamming his door and we took the door off. It worked a treat by not letting him know his door was missing until bedtime and distracting him with a new toy to take up to bed.

Good luck

Loraine

[Suze]

You can buy baby gates that have a mesh rather than bars, don,t know if this would solve the problem of the door banging.But kicking this would,nt make as much noise.Although your daughter would probably be able to dismantle the gate, so maybe that not such a good idea .

[Emum]

Viper

 

I thought schools were not allowed to refuse to take children in nappies - that is certainly what I've been told by a rep from our LEA. It would be discriminatory under the Disability Discrimination Act. If he needs nappies for school I would stand my ground.

[mandyque]

I can't remove her bedroom door as it was made into a stable door for her safety, the bottom half is locked, the top left open so I can see her. She is 8 so baby gates are too small, she can climb over them easily or vandalise them to get out