Last year, I had the opportunity to interview Gary Weitzen, the Executive Director of POAC Autism Services and the Autism Shield Program. (You can see the blog post about that interview here.) In the months since our interview, many of his comments have stuck with me, but one in particular has impacted my daily work with students. He said, “A lot more boys have autism than females but the vast majority of educators in special ed, and in particular with autism, are females.” He went on to provide examples of how this fact influences some skill development, specifically with toilet training.
This leads to several considerations to take into account when toilet training boys. I agree with Weitzen that some of these issues arise from the simple fact that women are predominantly toilet training boys. However, it’s also possible that such issues arise from the fact that many boys are trained in early intervention or preschool years without consideration of the implications of those training techniques several years down the line, and without further intervention or training later in life. Either way, it’s important to recognize that training of life skills should be completed in such a way as to develop effective skills that are similar to those of the child’s same-age peers. To that end, here are two considerations:
Consider hygiene. Something I had never thought about prior to my conversation with Weitzen is that after boys use the bathroom, then zip up their pants, it’s easy for a little urine to drip onto their pants. Especially once children reach upper elementary and middle school grades, a spot of urine can be socially isolating or an invitation for bullying. Weitzen acknowledges that it can be difficult to teach boys to gently shake their penis before zipping up, especially because teachers don’t want to inappropriately touch the students. However, for the long term, it’s essential that teachers find a way to teach this simple action.
Consider the topography of the behavior. When we think about topography, we basically mean, “What does the behavior look like.” When initially toilet training, teachers will typically have the student pull his/her pants down to the floor. Weitzen shared a personal experience from several years ago, when he was a chaperone on a field trip with his son who is autistic. At one point, the teachers asked him to take the boys to the bathroom, so Weitzen went in with eight 14-year-old boys with autism. He said, “They took their pants and pushed them right down to their knees at the urinal at Medieval Times. So we had seven hairy tushies in the room. Out in public! And what happens is other dads and other boys came in there and everyone’s laughing and commenting and pointing.” This is the type of situation that teachers and parents do not want students to experience. When toilet training, it’s essential to recognize that the topography of the behavior in the male restroom is to unzip the pants, and then pull the fabric aside in order to urinate in the urinal. While it may be easier to teach students to pull their pants down in the initial phases of toilet training, it’s important to continue shaping behavior until it has the appropriate topography.
If our students continue to pull their pants down completely, they become targets for bullying, or worse. Weitzen says that on multiple occasions, he’s had parents report to him that their child used the bathroom at the urinal, and when they pulled their pants to the floor, another student took a picture of them. “Four different moms told me that, and if four moms told me that, I can’t imagine how often that’s happening,” Weitzen said. “And even if they’re not sharing the photo, well now you’re the weird kid who sticks his butt out. And you’re isolated and you’re picked upon, so we have to be real. We have to realize our guys live in the real world and teach them the skills that they need.”
WRITTEN BY SAM BLANCO, MSED, BCBA
Sam is an ABA provider for students ages 3-12 in NYC. Working in education for ten years with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental delays, Sam has developed strategies for achieving a multitude of academic, behavior, and social goals. Sam is currently pursuing her PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis at Endicott College.
Gary Weitzman, Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa POAC Autism Services na Autism Shield Program (Unaweza kuona chapisho la blogi kuhusu mahojiano hayo hapa.) Katika miezi iliyopita tangu mahojiano yetu, mengi ya maoni yake yamebaki nami, lakini moja hasa imeathiri kazi yangu ya kila siku na wanafunzi. "Mvulana mmoja alisema: ""Wanaume wengi wana autism kuliko wanawake, lakini wengi wa walimu katika elimu maalum, na hasa kwa autism, ni wanawake.""Alifanya hivyo kwa kutoa mifano ya jinsi ukweli huu unavyoathiri maendeleo ya ujuzi, hasa na mafunzo ya choo." Hilo husababisha mambo kadhaa yanayopaswa kuzingatiwa wakati wa kuwazoeza wavulana kutumia choo. "Weizen alisema: ""Miongoni mwa mambo mengine ni kwamba wanawake ni wavulana wanaofundisha wavulana kutumia choo." Hata hivyo, ni pia inawezekana kwamba masuala kama hayo kutokea kutokana na ukweli kwamba wavulana wengi ni mafunzo katika mapema uingiliaji au kabla ya shule miaka bila kuzingatia athari za mbinu hizo za mafunzo miaka kadhaa chini ya mstari, na bila uingiliaji zaidi au mafunzo baadaye katika maisha. Kwa vyovyote vile, ni muhimu kutambua kwamba mafunzo ya ujuzi wa maisha yanapaswa kukamilika kwa njia ya kuendeleza ujuzi mzuri ambao ni sawa na wale wa wenzao wa umri huo wa mtoto. Kwa hiyo, hapa kuna mambo mawili ya kuzingatia: Fikiria usafi. Kitu ambacho sikuwahi kufikiria kabla ya mazungumzo yangu na Weitzen ni kwamba baada ya wavulana kutumia bafuni, kisha zip juu ya suruali zao, ni rahisi kwa mkojo kidogo matone juu ya suruali zao. Hasa wakati watoto wanapofika darasa la juu la shule ya msingi na ya kati, doa la mkojo linaweza kuwa la kutenganisha kijamii au mwaliko wa unyanyasaji. Weitzen anatambua kuwa inaweza kuwa vigumu kuwafundisha wavulana kutikisa upole kiuno chao kabla ya kufunga zip, hasa kwa sababu walimu hawataki kugusa wanafunzi kwa njia isiyofaa. Hata hivyo, kwa muda mrefu, ni muhimu kwamba walimu kupata njia ya kufundisha hatua hii rahisi. Fikiria jinsi tabia hiyo inavyoonekana. "Kama tunafikiria juu ya topografia, sisi kimsingi maana, ""Ni nini tabia inaonekana kama?""Kwanza, wakati wa mafunzo ya choo, walimu kawaida kuwa na mwanafunzi kuvuta yake ""sanduku chini ya sakafu.""" Weitzman alishiriki uzoefu wa kibinafsi kutoka miaka kadhaa iliyopita, wakati alikuwa msaidizi katika safari ya shambani na mwanawe ambaye ni autistic. Baada ya muda, walimu walimwomba Weizen aende na wavulana wengine wanane wenye ugonjwa wa akili. Alisema, "Walichukua suruali zao na kuzisukuma hadi kwenye magoti yao kwenye choo katika Enzi za Kati. Kwa hiyo tulikuwa na tushi saba wenye nywele katika chumba hicho. Nje ya watu wote! Na kile kinachotokea ni baba wengine na wavulana wengine waliingia huko na kila mtu <unk> anacheka na kutoa maoni na kuashiria. <unk> Hii ni aina ya hali ambayo walimu na wazazi hawataki wanafunzi wa uzoefu. Wakati wa mafunzo ya choo, ni muhimu kutambua kwamba topografia ya tabia katika choo cha wanaume ni kufungua suruali, na kisha kuvuta kitambaa kando ili kuota katika mkojo. Ingawa inaweza kuwa rahisi kufundisha wanafunzi kuvuta suruali zao chini katika awamu za awali za mafunzo ya choo, ni muhimu kuendelea kuunda tabia mpaka iwe na topografia sahihi. """Wanafunzi wetu wakizidi kuvuta suruali zao chini kabisa, watakuwa shabaha za unyanyasaji, au mbaya zaidi." Weitzman alisema kuwa mara nyingi wazazi walimwambia kuwa mtoto wao alitumia choo kwenye choo, na walipoinua suruali zao kwenye sakafu, mwanafunzi mwingine aliwapiga picha. "Mama wanne tofauti waliniambia hivyo, na ikiwa mama wanne waliniambia hivyo, siwezi kuwazia ni mara ngapi hilo linatokea", Weitzen alisema. <unk>Na hata kama wao si kushiriki picha, vizuri sasa wewe ni mtoto weird ambaye sticks nyuma yake nje. Na wewe ni kutengwa na wewe ni alichukua juu, hivyo sisi kuwa halisi. "Kama vile tunavyojua, ""Wanaume wanaishi katika ulimwengu halisi na kuwafundisha ujuzi wanaohitaji"" - Sam Blanco, MSED, BCBA, ni mtoa huduma wa ABA kwa wanafunzi wa umri wa miaka 3-12 huko New York." Sam amekuwa akifanya kazi katika elimu kwa miaka kumi na wanafunzi wenye matatizo ya autism na matatizo mengine ya maendeleo, Sam amebuni mikakati ya kufikia malengo mengi ya kitaaluma, tabia na kijamii. Sam kwa sasa anafuatilia PhD yake katika Uchambuzi wa Tabia ya Matumizi katika Chuo cha Endicott.