This article originally appeared in START Connecting in February 2025. 

Developing toileting skills is one of the most important milestones for young children as they move toward independence. When a child transitions from diapers to a regular routine of toileting, it reduces time spent on diaper changes and the financial burden of diapers. It also opens up more time for learning and play in early childhood settings and increased opportunities for social and community activities as the child gets older (e.g., day camps, sleepovers). The timing to learn this key skill will vary across children and those with neurodevelopmental differences may need additional planning and support, however research indicates that nearly all children will be able to successfully learn to use a toilet by the age of five (Simon et al. 2022) when the skill is taught.

To assist early childhood educators and families to embark on the toileting journey, we have created resources to help along the way. 

1. The Teaching Toileting Checklist for Young Children outlines the steps for early childhood educators to collaborate with families in preparing for and guiding a child through the process of learning a toileting routine. 
2. The Teaching Toileting Protocol provides a set of options for teaching based on the child’s needs and the resources of the classroom and family. The options are tiered with a standard protocol for any young child learning toileting skills with additional options to accelerate learning or enhance learning with special equipment (i.e., urine alarm). 
3. The Teaching Toileting and Adaptive Skills Resource Guide for Young Children is available to supplement the checklist and protocol. This guide includes guiding principles for toileting (i.e., pillars), developing a team, key considerations from the research literature, frequently asked questions and troubleshooting, books and articles, and many visual and communication supports for toileting. 

Throughout the process of teaching, collaboration between home and school is essential. This is a team effort so children can learn the routine of toileting across environments. Families are central to this teaching since they can provide a consistent environment for learning, model bathroom habits, acknowledge successes, and ensure the child feels comfortable in learning to use the toilet. Families also do the laundry! Additionally, coordination between the teacher, paraeducators, the speech therapist, and the occupational therapist allows for consistency and support for learning communication and adaptive skills along the way. 

Toileting is a key skill for young children to learn and represents an important step toward independence. It is also a matter of dignity, health, and safety as they enter their school years. If you are unsure what to do next, remember the STARTism “Start somewhere and start now.” Begin by looking at these resources, create a home-school partnership to tackle the skill of toileting, and make it a priority.

Written by: Amy Matthews, PhD, BCBA, Project Director

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