728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Bedwetting › When Bedwetting Doesn't Go Away

When Bedwetting Doesn't Go Away

Special Needs Teens and Enuresis

By Teri Brown

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

To help your special needs teen remain dry at night, Dr. Henry Roane of the Marcus Institute in Atlanta, Ga., believes that there are a number of interventions useful in treating nocturnal enuresis, though these interventions tend to vary in terms of their long-term effectiveness and intensity.

Dr. Roane works in the Marcus Institute's outpatient program which deals with special needs children and adolescents with problematic behavior, such as noncompliance, sleep problems or toileting problems. He has found that though antidepressants are the most commonly used medications for the treatment of bedwetting, they are sometimes associated with behavioral side effects. "More importantly, although medications may decrease bedwetting, they do not teach the child appropriate toileting skills," says Dr. Roane, who has found that behavioral interventions may be more effective in the long term.

Wheeler believes that carefully controlling the amount, type and timing of fluid intake is critical for success in eliminating bedwetting. She suggests having the teen avoid drinking fluids after 6 p.m. and avoid caffeinated beverages after 4 p.m. "When limiting fluid intake, be sure to consume an adequate amount of fluids earlier in the day to make up for stopping fluid intake later in the day," says Wheeler. "Be sure the person uses the toilet immediately before going to bed."

Innovative Approaches

If the above solutions don't work, sometimes you have to get creative. For example, if a teen requires an adult to prompt them to use the toilet, caregivers and parents can try visual prompts such as pictures or printed words to replace the verbal prompts.

"For example, one young man with autism with whom I worked would subtly stand next to the bathroom door when he needed to eliminate," says Wheeler. "He would wait for his mother to walk by and tell him to use the bathroom."


Pages:  1  2  3  4  


Want to see more?