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Both you and your child need to be ready for toilet training to work. You know when you are ready to let go of the handy diapers, but how do you know if your child is?

Children show interest in potty training between the ages of 2 and 3. Suddenly they seem interested in the toilet or in wearing underwear. They begin to ask your questions about using the toilet or even ask for Bob the Builder underwear when you are shopping at Target. If your child shows interest, is able to ask simple questions, follow directions and stays dry for periods of two hours or longer, they just might be ready!

When you decide that the diapers must go and your child is showing signs that they are ready, you must purchase a few things. Take your child to the store with you. Show the child how excited you are that they want to buy their own underwear and are going to use the toilet. You need to make this experience fun and exciting for the child. Have them pick out any underwear they want, the decorative ones are usually the most desired. Then pick out a potty chair. You can even get some stickers that they can use to decorate the chair. Have your child use your money to pay at the registrar. This will give them a sense of control and confidence.

When you get home, put the underwear away with your child in their “own” drawer. Then, together, put the potty chair in the bathroom. Let them pick a spot where it should go. Decorate the chair and talk to your child about how to sit on the seat. Practice pulling their pants up and down with them. Make sure they participate.

In the beginning, try to schedule potty breaks about every hour, on the hour. Have them sit on the potty chair for a few minutes while you talk, read a book or sing with them. If they do not go, applaud them for trying. When they do go, show your excitement by enthusiastically saying “good job,” possibly giving them a treat and/or a hug. Make a big deal. This is a huge accomplishment!

Your child will need to wear diapers when they sleep for the first several weeks of successful potty training. You can try throwing them away when the child begins to tell you that they need to us the toilet on their own. There will probably be some accidents in the beginning but be patient. Never show the child if you are upset. This will only sway them from using the toilet.

If your child does not have success using the potty chair after a few weeks and are having anxiety, try creating a sticker chart. Every time they go, they get a sticker. After a certain amount of stickers, they get to go to the store and pick out a toy. Another option is to have them roam the house naked. Chances are, they will seek a toilet when they need to go.

Good luck and remember, this is a fun and exciting experience for both you and your child.

Therapeutic horseback riding has been proven to be extremely beneficial for children with special needs. Children have an opportunity to improve their physical capabilities, cognition, social skills and emotional well-being. Participants even experience increased confidence and develop a better self-concept.

Horseback riding requires flexibility, balance and posture. The horses movement causes the rider to use their core muscles which often improves strength throughout the body and their upright position. Muscles that benefit from riding include the back, buttocks, ankles, knees and hips. This is beneficial for those who have low muscle-tone. Those with high muscle-tone work on relaxing their muscles and moving with the gait of the horse.

Horseback riding also provides a unique opportunity for children to communicate with the horse and those involved with instruction. The participant often forms a relationship with the horse. This is especially beneficial for those with emotional or social disabilities. The animal shows love, loyalty and trust in the rider. Children feel in control when riding a horse and it helps to empower them. They also learn how to care for a horse, giving them responsibility.

Riding requires attention, memory and reasoning skills. The child is asked to interpret sensory information that they receive from riding including the motion, smell, feel, sound and sight of the horse. They are also interpreting information from the surrounding environment and the instructor leading to intellectual stimulation.

If you are interested in more information, check out the web-page for The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.

There is contact information for Therapeutic Horseback Riding in the area under Resources.

Children between the ages of 2 and 3 experience a tremendous growth spurt in their language skills. By the age of 2 most children can follow simple commands and their vocabulary expands. Many children also begin to echo what they hear and begin to combine words in simple phrases.

By the age of 3, the child’s vocabulary is typically between 900-1000 words and they begin to string words together in short sentences.Children at this stage of language development start to speak more clearly and they are usually able to use language to engage in a simple question and answer format.

Reading books, singing, playing word games and talking to your child will increase their vocabulary while providing increased opportunities for listening activities.

Remember to talk to your child about daily events. Before bed, ask your child what they did during the day. If the child is having difficulty, start the sentence out for them or give them clues describing the event. Read your child’s favorite book several times and encourage them to identify objects and actions in the book.

Below is a list of typical communication skills for children who are between the ages of 2 and 3.

Children who are 2 years old should be able to:

Use at least 2 prepositions ( on, under and in)

Produce intelligible speech 2/3 of the time

Produce short sentences and combine words

Have a vocabulary of about 150-300 words

Name common objects

Use two pronouns correctly (I, me, and you)

Responds to simple familiar commands such as “show me your mouth”

Children who are 3 years old should be able to:

Use some plurals and past tenses

Understand at least 3 prepositions (in, on and under)

Use pronouns correctly (I, you and me)

Point to body parts (head, nose, mouth, hair, eyes)

Use 900-1000 words

Produce intelligible speech 90% of the time

Produce 3 word sentences

Understand simple questions and commands that are familiar

Answer simple questions beginning with “what”

Say their name, age and sex

Some children have low muscle tone in their hands. Lack of hand strength makes it difficult for them to cut. Other difficulties that children face with cutting is positioning scissors in a proper thumbs up position and using their non dominant hand as an assist.

Fun, engaging activities for children who are able to cut in a “thumbs up” position:

· Provide your child with straws and scissors. Children enjoy cutting straws and seeing then fly across the room!

· Place a sticker on both ends of a piece of paper and draw a line connecting the two stickers. Have the child cut on the line. Start out with a small piece of paper such as an index card. Gradually increase the size of the paper as the cutting improves.

· Collect grass, leaves and flowers from outside. Have the child cut the items.

· Have the child cut pieces of playdoh.

Suggestions for those who need assistance positioning scissors in a “thumbs up” position:

· Draw two eyes and a nose on the thumb. Remind the child to use their “driver”. The thumb should be close to the sky.

· Sing the Scissor Song to the Tune of “Are You Sleeping”

Keep your thumbs up

Keep your thumbs up

When you cut

When you cut

We can cut with scissors

We can cut with scissors

Open and shut

Open and shut

A suggestion for those who do not use their non dominant hand as an assist (moving the paper with the hand that is not cutting):

• If the child cuts with their right hand place markers such as pen marks or stickers on the left edge of the paper. Remind the child to move their left hand to each marker as they cut up the page. Place the markers on the right edge of the paper for those who cut with their left hand.
  

PTOT Notes from Your Therapist- Tablev2-Oct2004

Some children have low tone in their hands and fingers. This causes the child to have difficulty with fine motor (small muscle) activities including writing, painting and cutting with scissors. To improve strength in the hands and develop a functional grasp on writing utensils try the suggestions below.

1. Place a piece of paper on an easel or tape it to the wall. Have the child paint or draw. Using a vertical surface helps develop arm and shoulder strength and encourages the use of a functional grasp.
   
2. Have the child read or play a board game while placed on their stomach. This helps children who have low muscle tone build strength in their arms and trunk.
   
3. Place various small objects in playdoh or silly putty. Have the child dig for the objects using their fingers.
   
4. Have the child use large tweezers or salad tongs to pick up small objects off the ground and place them in a container with a large hole. This could be a baby food jar or a coffee can with a hole cut out of the lid. This strengthens fingers as well as improves eye hand coordination.
   
5. String beads on a pipe cleaner. The strength of the pipe cleaner makes it easier for the child to control. Start our with beads that have a large hole and then move to beads with smaller holes. Beads that are in the shape of animals can be found at Michaels craft store.
   
6. Cut a slit in a tennis ball and draw a face. Have your child squeeze the ball with one hand and feed the “animal or person” pennies with the other hand.
   
7. Pop bubble wrap between the thumb and each individual finger to encourage finger isolation.
   
8. Place a piece of large chalk in the end of a turkey baster handle. Have the child draw with the chalk. The shape of the baster helps the child control the chalk and develop a functional grasp.
   
9. Play games that help develop fine motor skills including Hi Ho Cheerio, Lite Brite, Bedbugs and Operation.
   
10. Decorate zip lock bags and place desirable objects or prizes inside. Have the child place both thumbs on either sides of the opening and practice opening the bag.