Bed-Wetting in Special Needs Children

Bed-wetting in  special needs children is very stressful and challenging for both parents and children. Did you know that bed-wetting is a very common problem impacting millions of children and one that is also treatable? There are many bed-wetting solutions and treatment options that can help a special needs child to overcome the problem quickly and effectively.

One of the best and proven ways to stop bed-wetting in special needs children is to use  a bed-wetting alarm at night. These bed-wetting alarms use moisture detecting sensor that trigger the alarm and wakes up a sleeping child when bed-wetting occurs. Most modern day alarms come  with a vibrating feature that can alert children with  hearing or visual disabilities.

Bed-wetting alarms usually have loud tones to wake up a deep sleeper, however, sometimes children do not respond to the alarm initially. If your child doesn’t respond to the alarm in first few weeks, help him wake up. In the case of a child with special needs it is a good idea for the parent or a caretaker to sleep in the same room as the child to help him or her wake up and use the bathroom at night. Overtime, the child will  become conditioned to wake up and use  the bathroom independently.

Training a bed-wetting child with special needs to go to the bathroom independently is centered on communication. So, before beginning the treatment explain to them how the alarm works with pictures, videos or hand signals or any other cues that you think works best for your child.

While you and your child gets use to the treatment process with a bed-wetting alarm, it is a good idea to keep a few waterproof bedding overlay protectors handy. Waterproof overlays can prevent urine, sweat or other unwanted liquid spills to seep into your bedding.

Motivating a special needs child to achieve bowel and bladder control will allow the child to be more independent and confident. So, don’t ridicule or punish them if they have setbacks or take time to respond to the treatment.