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October is autism awareness month, so in recognition of this we’d like to take a deeper look at autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and incontinence, specifically in children.
Autism spectrum disorder is a condition that has to do with brain development. Those with autism often have difficulties socializing and communicating, as well as having limited and repetitive behaviour. Autism will affect people differently when it comes to both severity and symptoms, hence “spectrum” being included in the name.
Potty training is a challenge for any parent, but for kids on the autism spectrum, it sometimes takes longer than average. For children with non-verbal ASD, letting someone know and vocalizing the need to use the toilet can be even more challenging.
The majority of children on the autism spectrum will eventually outgrow incontinence and learn how to effectively use the toilet, it may just take a little longer, and so parents often find themselves searching for Youth incontinence products that cater to the “not quite adult but not a child anymore” sizes.
For kids with ASD who are in this transition period, Healthwick offers a range of products in sizes youth, junior and extra-small, as well as underpad and hygiene products to put together a complete solution to keep your child comfortable.
Helpful Tip: Fit is everything! Measure both the hips and the waist of the child and use whichever measurement is larger to find the correct size. A properly fitted product should be snug on the body, but not tight.
It may take a few tries to find the right fit or product, which is why almost all our Youth products are available as part of our Free Sample program.
For more support, the National Association for Continence (NAFC) has some great tips for helping manage incontinence related to autism spectrum disorder, along with some helpful facts and information.
Healthwick offers a wide range of products in sizes ranging from XS/Junior to XXXL. Our extensive selection of sizes and absorbency options will allow you to find the perfect product to help manage your loved one’s incontinence. And, of course, we’re here to help. If you have any questions or need some assistance finding the right product, please don’t hesitate to give us a call Toll Free at 1-877-775-6656.
We hope this helps! Take care.
4 comments
Zeph Winters
While I did find this article useful, I do feel there needs to be more research done and presented for autistic young adults. I am 18, high functioning autism, and also have PTSD. While I am high functioning autism, I cannot control my bladder and I do have frequent bowel accidents daily. I do have to wear “incontinence products” (I call them diapers or pullups, because that is what they are quite frankly) all the time. I’ve done research time and time again, and it’s extremely hard to find articles on incontinence in young adults with high functioning autism. My Dr can’t figure out why I have these problems, because I’ve been to urologists and there’s nothing structurally wrong…so the only conclusion to come to is it’s a connection between the bladder/bowels and my brain. Anyways, would def appreciate an article focusing on young adults with ASD and autism.
Kat
I am a nonbinary adult with high functioning autism, and I have some incontinence issues too. What I have read is that, although the article is right in that there is definitely some improvement to be had as we grow since we develop slower or differently, there is still a very high amount of autistic adults who struggle with incontinence, far higher than in the rest of the population. Much of the medical reports I’ve read said around 80% of adults with autism struggle with some degree of incontinence, so this isn’t just a children’s issue. There’s a combination of factors like sensory challenges and awareness, but the reports also said there is also a connection to medication, because autistic people are more likely than average to be on mental health meds for concurrent disorders, like I am – which in my case made me go from being “barely aware in time” to not having enough time sometimes. So I just wanted to say that it’s not just a kids issue, and to tell other adults who have autism that they aren’t alone if they are dealing with this, because it’s extremely common for us too.
Matt Gonder
Great article but someone needs to do a similar article for adults managing incontinence and autism. Support for that age range seems to be lacking alot.
Carl Johnson
As a 46 year old man with Autism (Asperger’s Syndrome) and Incontinence, I appreciated this article very much. I’m a regular customer of Healthwick’s wonderful adult diaper product line as a result.
I would kindly ask to have this article amended slightly to include Autistic adults with incontinence as well as Autistic children. Adult Autism-related Incontinence is an issue worthy of recognition.
Thank-you,
Carl Johnson