How Can I Help My 6-Year-Old Autistic Son With His Restroom Obsession?
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice on how we can help our 6 year old autistic son (Level 3) with a severe restroom fixation. He also has a twin brother who is nonverbal and diagnosed with Autism Level 3.
The moment he sees a restroom sign or enters a new building, he starts screaming “restroom,” runs toward it, and ignores everything else. Once he becomes fixated, toys, rewards, books, and redirects do not work.
We have tried:
- Visual supports (“Men’s restroom = Yes”, “Women’s restroom = No”)
- Reward systems
- Preferred toys/items
- ABA-supported community walks
ABA helped somewhat in familiar places. After several sessions at one Walmart and nearby library, he stopped immediately running to the restroom there. But when we visit a new place, the behavior starts again. It feels like he learns the location rather than the general rule.
Today during an IEP evaluation planning meeting at a school in Oregon, he started screaming “restroom” as soon as we entered the building. I took him to the men’s restroom, but when we came out he suddenly ran into the women’s restroom before I could stop him. Unfortunately, several girl students were inside at the time, which made the situation very stressful and embarrassing for us.
He is also very strong for his age, making it difficult to physically stop him during meltdowns or eloping.
We are preparing to enroll him in kindergarten, and we are deeply worried about school safety and restroom boundaries.
Has anyone dealt with something similar?
How did you help your child over time?
Did ABA or any specific strategies work for you?
Any advice, experiences, social stories, or tools would really mean a lot to our family.