How the No Pants Potty Training Method Can Work

No amount of parenting trickery or talent can beat the luck of trying this when your child just happens to be in the right spot developmentally. If you're certain that it's your child's body that's telling you to start training and not just your therapist or teacher or mother-in-law, continue on.

No school, no work, no playdates, no outings, no visitors, no nothing. This is serious business for your child. Treat it seriously. If possible, choose a week during the summer or a period of warm weather, so that little bare bottom doesn't freeze.

At the start of your scheduled week, dress your child in nothing but the long, privates-covering T-shirt. No diapers, no underpants, no pants or skirt, no socks or shoes, just the shirt. Explain to your child that this is going to be his or her outfit for the next few days.

If he’s watching TV, he’s sitting on the potty chair. If she’s coloring, you’ve pulled the potty chair up to a coffee table for her. If she’s playing on the floor, she’s sitting on the crib liner. He eats meals at that same low table, or on the floor.

If there’s a safe area of your backyard, you can let him or her run around. If not, it’s indoors and on the crib liner for the duration.

If you absolutely must take your child somewhere—and try not to, and certainly not for more than a short trip—add a pair of loose boy’s swim trunks and pool shoes or flip flops to your child’s T-shirt outfit. The idea is to stay away from anything that would be a problem if it got wet. Put the crib liner and maybe a towel or two on your child’s car seat. And get back home fast.

If you’re really firm and really consistent, this method should focus your child’s attention on his potty needs.

The bottom line on potty training children with special needs is that they’ll do it when they’re ready. That readiness may be impacted by physical, developmental, emotional, sensory, and other factors that don’t respond to bribes and threats. When it comes to potty training, kids hold all the cards, and if they won’t or can’t cooperate, it’s almost impossible to make them.

If after a week of trying the No-Pants method, you're not seeing a real improvement in your child's ability to sense the need to go and deliver the goods in the potty, that's a good sign that the time may not be right for training. Pack it in, put the diapers back on, and give everybody a rest. Your child's time will come.