Is it possible for AS to cause big delay in toilet training?

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I definitely don't have classic autism, seeing as I learned to speak at the age of 1. I seemed quite normal aside from looking so sad and withdrawn. The problem is that I only became fully trained to use the toilet around 10 - 12 years old. All my parents did was punish me for it, but I completely ignored the consequences, as I do with everything in life til this very day, even though it would cause me great emotional trauma. It was usually because I hyperfocused on something, and ignored nature's calls.

I would like to understand that part of my life better. It was part of what traumatized me in my childhood. Is this uncommon among people with AS? Was it something else?

I think I read somewhere that it is a trait of people on the spectrum. I didn't stop wetting my pants until I was in the 5th grade. To this day I sometimes still hold it longer than I should because I don't want to leave whatever it is I'm doing.

If you go strictly by the criteria for AS, then no.

However, few people with an official diagnosis of AS meet that.

In the past years, professionals in most countries have recognised that people with AS have delayed self-help skills. They might even consider delayed self-help skills to be a common trait of Asperger's.

I don't meet that criterion E. either and have an official diagnosis of AS anyway.

According to the friendly DSM-IV-TR:

So yes, if your hyper-focus on whatever it is you were interested in interfered with such compared to your peers, then Asperger's can do such.

Sora, that's just saying that the cognitive development must be there to do those things, it doesn't mean they can't be delayed due to the above statement.

I was slow in toilet training. I also picked up a strong, inexplicable fear of looking down the toilet that I've only just started getting over in the past year or so.

Doesn't that conflict with the criteria? Or is that meant to specify that there does exist 1 reason that allows delays (which they did not thought to mention in the criteria themselves)?

Ahh, you edited while I way busying writing.

Okay, my question is answered.

Interesting topic. I was thinking about this earlier.
I remember I must have been about 7 when I stopped wetting the bed.
I wanna ask something else, but it's a bit disgusting! I remember when I was about 3/4, i was really curious about... crap.... literally.. and well.. I'll let you guess the rest!
I don't know if that had anyting to do with Asperger's or not. Anyone know what I mean?

Charlie x

I don't think this is necessarily related to toilet training, since bed wetting is involuntary.

Yeah, it's just saying that there's no cognitive delay that stops people from doing these things. It's kinda like the person with Asperger's who doesn't take care of personal hygiene because he or she is obsessing away in the basement, whereas the person with Autism literally and physically can't do it.

(Not everyone has these problems, of course. Some people with AS just do poorly at school because they don't want to learn anything but that single interest, even though they have an IQ that equates to doing well academically. There's many, many variations.)

mm I may have misinterpreted the question then, my apologies.

Charlie x

It can be. If you lay in bed till it happens because you don't want to come out to see the world...ask me how I know. Also, holding out for a very long time eventually damages your bladder's ability to hold out. It can also create serious health problems.


Anyway, to answer the OP; Yes.

EDIT: BTW this can also happen with ADD/ADHD. It's the hyper-focusing.

Last edited by DwightF on 29 Dec 2008, 10:57 am, edited 2 times in total.

When I speak of "bed wetting" I don't mean it literally but in the sense it is usually understood (while asleep), which is involuntary.

This is quite interesting, hadn't thought of that. Though of course that's a more complicated issue than bed wetting in the sense it is usually understood.

That's odd. After all these years, my bladder is actually three times more capable than the average person.

It'll give out eventually. Ask all the duty nurses that end up wearing depends.

P.S. You should talk to your Dr about this. Compulsive, chronic "holding off" can cause other serious damage if you manage to go far enough.

then we must have misunderstood each other lol. I've never wet the bed while fast asleep.. I was always like what DwightF said.. I wouldn't leave my bed.
I didn't think you could wet the bed while asleep lol. ah well.

Charlie x

It only does damage if you hold it to the point of causing pain. I believe the Vietnamese used to use this as a strategy during negotiations. The culture prohibited a person leaving the table while talks are still going on. So when the guest party has too much tea, they had to give in to demands so they could use the restroom.

In general, knowing you have to pee, and not going will not do long term damage.