Benefits to Children with Special Needs
- Promotes Independence
- Hygiene and Independence: Helps children develop independence in toileting, reducing the need for adult assistance.
- Motor Skills Support: Requires minimal physical effort, making it ideal for children with limited motor skills.
- Improves Hygiene
- Gentle Water Spray: More tolerable and soothing for children with sensory sensitivities, reducing sensory overload.
- Safety and Ergonomics
- Safe Setup: Easy to set up on the toilet with a stool for younger children to access comfortably.
- Supervised Use: Supervision recommended during initial uses to ensure proper positioning and comfort.
- Ease of Use
- Simple Maintenance: Easy to clean and maintain, making it a practical addition to daily routines.
- Adjustable Settings: Initial trial and error needed to find the optimal water pressure and angle, but generally easy to use once adjusted.
Professional Insights
Natalia Sarabia, OT/L, on the Potty Splash
- Initial Impressions: The Potty Splash is an innovative product aimed at improving hygiene and independence during potty training. The concept of using water instead of toilet paper is particularly appealing for many children with special needs.
- Design and Usability: The child-friendly design of the Potty Splash is particularly beneficial for children with SPD, ASD, ADHD, and Down Syndrome, who may initially resist trying the product due to sensory processing difficulties. Finding the optimal water pressure and angle requires some trial and error, but once adjusted, the product is easy to use. It is simple to clean and maintain, making it a practical addition to daily routines.
- Safety and Ergonomics: The product is safe when set up correctly. It needs to be placed appropriately on the toilet, and a stool is recommended for younger children to access the seat comfortably and safely. Supervision is required during the initial uses to ensure proper positioning and comfort. The ergonomic design supports children’s use without significant physical effort, making it beneficial for those with limited motor skills.
- OT Perspectives on Benefits:
- Sensory Processing Difficulties (SPD): The gentle water spray is more tolerable and soothing than toilet paper, reducing sensory overload.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Provides a more comfortable and less challenging toileting experience, with a gradual introduction process.
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Simplifies the toileting process, requiring less focus and coordination.
- Down Syndrome: Reduces motor skill requirements, promoting greater independence.
- Cerebral Palsy: Beneficial for children with mild to moderate motor impairments, reducing the physical effort needed for wiping.
- Required Abilities: To promote independence, children need basic cognitive and problem-solving skills to place the seat correctly on the toilet and sufficient hand strength and fine motor skills to activate the water spray. While the Potty Splash reduces the need for extensive wiping, children may still require assistance with drying themselves afterward.
- Transitioning to a Child Bidet: Use visual and verbal explanations, gradual introduction, positive reinforcement, modeling, choice and control, desensitization techniques, role play, routine integration, and patience and support to help children transition to using the Potty Splash effectively.