8 Yr Old Boy Pees Himself While He's Wide Awake

Limit video time and TV time to specific intervals of time- say 30 minutes at a time. With the rule that he goes to the bathroom before and after the 30 minute interval. Leave these instructions for any other adult who is watching him.

Set a timer that will regularly go off in 30 minute intervals. Of put a lamp on a timer - so it will blink in 30 minute intervals - something that will catch his attention. Heck, put the TV and the computer on a timer, so they shut off in intervals.

When playing with friends - get him a watch that has a alarm - set it - when it goes off, he excuses himself and runs to the bathroom.

With cues - he must get up and got to the bathroom.

If you think it is a matter of his ignoring his body's signals, then you need to "train" him to listen to them. And a little discipline on this one really will not hurt him.

I want you to know you're not alone. Our nine-year-old son has ADHD and is the same way. If he gets caught up in video games, he hyperfocuses and forget it ... he might as well be two again, because he often won't make it to the bathroom in time. I'm very familiar with that potty dance! I know Asperger's and ADHD are closely related, so I wonder if your son may have the same challenge in hyperfocusing with things that interest him?

This is not something you can resolve through discipline. I just try to stay on top of our son's potty trips so I can check with him periodically. I think it just comes with the territory when you have a special needs child like we do.

I just want you to know that toileting issues with children with Autism are completely normal. Regressions are very normal with toileting.

However, if this is a sudden regression, I would take him to the pediatrician for a urine sample to see if he has a UTI or bladder infection.

It's never his fault, okay? It's never about defiance. My daughter has high functioning Classic Autism, and she does occasionally have some toileting issues and she's 9 years old. She also has Sensory Integration Disorder and that's a major, major part of it. She hates using the toilet. She hates the entire process of having to go, but she also hates how it feels "to go." She withholds a lot, and that causes UTI's. Sometimes she just gets them for no other reason than she's prone to them at this point.

Just get him checked out by the pediatrician or even a urologist just in case it's a medical issue like an infection and not part of the ASD. You may have to consider putting him in big kid pull-up type underwear to help with accidents.

Create a new habit for him. BEFORE he is allowed to turn on the video game/tv he has to go potty. I would also make him set a timer for 2 hrs when he starts. When the timer goes off he has to go potty again. Most kids should be able to last 2 hrs without having an accident.
As for playing with his friends....he can go potty before he starts. You could also get him a watch that you can set a timer on & again set it for 2 hours.
Good luck.

I agree with the set time for going to the bathroom. Every half hour should do it. If nothing else, get him some pull-ups to wear when playing outside so he does not have to be embarrassed. Mainly remember that he is not doing this on purpose, his brain and body are not tuned into this. I would also discuss this with his doctor, perhaps there are other causes besides just inattention.

You can buy a watch that will vibrate at set intervals to remind him to go. You set the intervals according to what he needs.
The watches look totally normal (and is normal....just the added
Functionality of scheduling multiple interval
Alarms)and they even make them for kids. Our pediatric urologist recommended this for our son. It puts the child in control and is discreet.

Google "wobble watch"

Sorry for any typos.... Typing on my phone
:-)