Toilet training for children with autism: The effects of video modeling

This study assessed the effectiveness of an animated toilet training video for teaching daytime urinary control to five young boys with autism across several settings. A between and across groups multiple baseline design was used following a 2-week baseline-monitoring period. Children in the treatment condition received video modeling plus operant conditioning strategies, whereas children in the control condition received only operant conditioning strategies. Frequency of in-toilet urinations was found to be greater for children who watched the toileting video than for children who did not. Gains were maintained for three participants at a 6-week follow-up with generalization to a new setting for two participants. Results indicate that, for young children with autism who are resistant to toilet training, acquisition of urinary control may be facilitated by use of an animated toileting video in conjunction with operant conditioning strategies.