Wiping After Bowel Movements
Wiping After Bowel Movements

Wiping After Bowel Movements

Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners wipe after using the restroom.

One of the most difficult skills to teach are those related to toileting and hygeine. Wiping especially can be a challenge. The aspect of this behavior that is most challenging is that—when done independently—the learner must select the appropriate amount of toilet tissue and and wipe an area that is out of their line of vision. This skill area seeks to help the learner practice both of these skills in addition to helping them recognize when it is time to stop wiping. As the learner masters this skill area, in addition to consistent voiding and manding to do so, they quickly approach complete independence regarding toileting.

Treatment Plan Goal Ideas

This is a list of treatment plan goals. These are different from the goals you will find in the skill sequence below. Your treatment plan goals encompass any number of goals from the skill sequence. Sometime they will include multiple goals from the sequence (”Learner will label 5 toys”) and sometimes the treatment plan goal will be simply consist of a really important goal from the skill sequence (”Will label caregiver”). An analogy I like to use goes as follows: Each skill sequence goal (commonly known as a “target”) represent each stair in a flight of stairs. The treatment plan goal is the flight itself.

Treatment plan goal ideas for this particular skill area are as follows:

  • Learner will select the appropriate amount of toilet paper across three toileting settings.
  • Learner will select the appropriate amount of toilet paper in a toileting setting, wipe a visible surface, and stop wiping once the surface is adequately wiped across three settings.
  • Learner will independently and adequately wipe themselves after a bowel movement without prompting across three different toileting settings.

Component Skills

Your learner may need to be fluent in these component skills first before introducing this goal/skill area. Component skills for this skill sequence may include skill areas that are fundamental to other areas. Fluency in the skill areas listed below may increase the likelihood that your learner will succeed in this skill sequence and those afterward.

Intro to Reinforcer/Preference ExpansionIntro to Reinforcer/Preference ExpansionImitates Actions with Preferred ItemsImitates Actions with Preferred ItemsPerforms Preferred Action with Preferred Item (LR)Performs Preferred Action with Preferred Item (LR)Performs Action During Familiar Routines (LR)Performs Action During Familiar Routines (LR)Performs Actions with Uni-Functional Toys (LR)Performs Actions with Uni-Functional Toys (LR)Intro to Wiping Intro to Wiping

Skill Possibilities

Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to wipe themselves when toileting. Note that every learner is different and that you likely will need to tweak and vary some programming to their needs. Click the triangle icon to view the full description for each skill in the sequence/area.

#1 Grabs 8 sheets of toilet paper
#2 Grabs toilet paper, wipes visible surface
#3 Grabs toilet paper, wipes unseen surface
#4 Grabs toilet paper, wipes after bowel movement (w/ prompting)
#5 Grabs toilet paper, wipes after bowel movement (independently)

Concurrent Skills

Working on these skills at the same time could help with goal mastery. Maybe your learner has mastered these skills already. Perhaps they are already listed as component skills above. That’s okay! Targeting other learning channels might help your learner.

Intro to Wiping Intro to Wiping Intro to Toileting Intro to Toileting Intro to Washing HandsIntro to Washing HandsLabels Clean & Dirty  Labels Clean & Dirty

Composite Skills

These are the possible next steps for learners who have mastered, or are mastering, the skills listed above. Note that new skill areas may require fluency in other component skills not listed above. Also, you can introduce composite skill sequences prematurely to keep your learner progressing, as generativity may occur earlier than expected.

Advanced Toileting (Coming Soon!)

Follow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.

Research and Resources
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