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Home › Articles › Bedwetting › Autism and Bedwetting

Autism and Bedwetting

A Guide for Parents

By Heather V. Long

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"My son, now 5 years old, who has mild autism, wasn't fully potty-trained until about 4 3/4 years old, but then again, boys often take longer," says Teresa, a mother in Indiana. "I have read that because it's difficult to get autistic children to fully understand their body signals, it can be hard for them to know when to use the toilet. And, of course, if they don't know or understand their body signals during the day, then they will wet their beds at night, because they will be even less tuned to body signals while asleep."

Jeanne Brohart, mother of 5-year-old Zachary, who is autistic, has her own idea of the link between autism and bedwetting. "In my opinion, the issue of bedwetting is related to damage in the area of the basal ganglia and the cerebellum," says Brohart, who created a Web site to help other parents of autistic children called Autismhelpforyou.com. "Both of these areas of the brain are known to be damaged in children with autism. If you look at the functions involved in the basal ganglia, they include matters relating to the movement control, cognition, learning and motivation."

Controlling Enuresis

There are many treatments available to help with enuresis, including limiting fluids and waking the child to use the bathroom. With special needs children, however, it's best to tailortheir treatment to their condition.


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