DD has SPD and at times refuses to use toilet paper when she pees or to flush - help!

[Anonymous]

DD is 6 and has sensory processing disorder. She tends to be worse when her allergies are bad, like now, mold is the worst for her. When her SPD is bad she does not use toilet paper when she pees (says she doesn't want to take a chance of pee getting on her hand) or flush (the handle sometimes has condensation and she says that it feels yucky). I have suggested using a piece of toilet paper to push the handle but no go. Needless to say, this grosses the rest of us out and I worry about her embrassing herself on playdates. Now her younger sister 3 has started doing the same (she also has SPD and bad allergies, so I'm not sure if that is it or if it is imitating big sis). Needless to say, in these "phases" they also resist washing their hands. This needs to stop, for hygiene reasons alone, the little one gets really stinky and they are spreading germs. Anyone deal with this? The OT did not really have ideas besides using rewards and punishments, which hasn't really worked so far. Help!

[Anonymous]

Did you try rubber gloves in the bathroom, placed near the toilet... my brother was ocd/anti germ as a kid and this worked

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you try rubber gloves in the bathroom, placed near the toilet... my brother was ocd/anti germ as a kid and this worked

Hadn't thought of that but will give it a try. OCD is all the time, right? This is just at very specific times of the allergy season.

[Anonymous]

Have you experimented with different brands and types of toilet paper-some are softer, some are thicker..you never know? Id you find one that works you could even discretely send some with her on playdates in a plastic bag in her pocket or something?

[Anonymous]

I think the PP who mentioned getting rubber gloves is on to something. To take that suggestion a step further may I suggest possibly getting a box of small size exam gloves, food handling gloves (like they wear at Subway) or the plastic gloves the providers use at daycares for diaper changes. That would prevent all pee and condensation from coming in contact with her hand.

I think this is definitely more wasteful than the rubber glove suggestion but it would deal with the issue of the rubber gloves posing germ risks after repeated use.

[Anonymous]

There are also potty mitts sold at buy buy baby. Not sure if they are one size fits all or not, and they are mitts so not sure how easy it is to toilet with them. Just putting it out there.

[Anonymous]

My SPD DS likes to use the wet wipes. Not sure if that will help, but he does not like toilet paper for the same reason.