As childhood rites of passage go, potty training your child most likely brings more anxiety than excitement. Training a neurotypical child to use the potty is a challenge, but training a special needs child is a challenge times 100.
My ASD son is 6 years and not yet potty trained. He is nonverbal, has sensory processing issues and gets anxious when his routine is changed and he is expected to perform unfamiliar actions. We have tried potty training him different times over the past 3 years but to no avail.
One factor that causes my son anxiety is trying to balance his bottom and his legs squarely on the toilet seat while his feet are dangling. The common sense solution would be to place a stool under his feet to stabilize him, however, kid sized stools are placed directly in front of the toilet and only allow a minimal area for feet placement. Those stools are also bulky and have to be moved out of the way for adults to be able to use the toilet.
Then I discovered The Little Looster.
The Little Looster, invented by mom of 3 kids, Monica Mylet, is an innovative stool that provides perfect support for legs and feet with it’s unique horseshoe design that fits around the base of the toilet. This wraparound feature provides sure footing not only in front of the toilet, but on the sides as well. The sturdy, all around support of The Little Looster allows my son to sit in more of a straddle position, taking away the feeling of “falling in” that he experiences when he sits with his legs closer together using a traditional stool. He doesn’t have to hold onto the germ filled toilet rim to stabilize himself and his body and legs remain comfortable if one of his potty training sessions is going on longer than expected. I think this is a fantastic potty training accessory.
I only have one “con” about this product. The Little Looster is designed with cutouts at the bottom so that standing adults can place their feet under the stool when using the toilet or place their heels in the same spot when sitting. While this is a great design feature, my other son, who is 9, found it difficult to stand with his feet in the cutouts and still be close enough to aim properly. His stance is definitely not as wide as the cutout placement and the stool doesn’t fit completely under our toilet, so he’s not able to get as close to the bowl as he normally does. I told him that he could stand on the stool, but he preferred standing on the floor (he is ASD also).
I would recommend this product to parents who are in the midst of potty training their children, whether special needs or not. The Little Looster currently sells for $29.99 and can be purchased directly from The Little Looster website.
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