Children (0-12 years): Bathroom, Toilet, Clothing
Children (0-12 years): Bathroom, Toilet, Clothing
Page last checked : September 2025
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Support Team is often asked for advice about potty or toilet training.
- Will I need to think about any specific equipment to help with potty training?
- Will my child be able to potty train with SMA, in the same way a child without SMA would?
- Will my child experience the same sensations to learn to potty train with SMA?
- What should we do when out and about or in an emergency, such as equipment or accessible toilets.
Tips and Ideas from the SMA Community
The best tips and ideas often come from the community. From parents who have experienced these questions and found answers themselves.
The team has put together some of the responses they have had. They have also listed sources for useful equipment and further advice below.
“Our son couldn’t always get the sensation of wanting to go because he is sitting all the time, and we had to create a routine i.e. wake up sit on the potty, midday sit on the potty, late afternoon and before bed to train his bladder”
“We used a “throne” chair to make it an event and lots of praise”
“Our child seemed to find it so hard to go for a poo in her nappy (I think the lack of mobility added to her constipation early on). Putting her on a potty seemed to help with this. We used a high-backed potty chair so she could sit for longer, more comfortably. This also supported the OT potty chair that she then went on to use at nursery and at school”
“Potty training started when our son was about 2, in a potty with a slightly higher back for support. Later the OT introduced a Rifton toilet chair which has it’s own potty but can also go over the toilet”
“We started potty training at 2 and a half or 3 (from memory!) – we started off with ahigh-backed potty and eventually got a potty from our OT – the Smirthwaite potty chair”
“Potty training probably took a bit longer than I think it would with a non-disabled child, but we got there. He was fully toilet trained by the time he went to school”
“Best thing is to notice pattern of when they are wet/dry or going for a poo, then try around these times. First thing in the morning, mid-morning, just before or after meals and before bedtime. Take books, games etc to keep them amused (ours used to sit on ‘the throne’ for hours!)”
“She also had a Rifton blue wave toilet system which has a tray and footrest, both really important to have your feet supported and a tray to change position/play on, this doubles up as an excellent shower chair too”
Useful Equipment
Portable Urinal Bottle Kids – pop these words into an ebay search and scroll down. There are a lot on the market. A parent in the community used this portable bottle >. There are others like it.
Accessible Toilets and Changing Facilities in the UK
Many families with children with SMA will need these facilities:
Accessaloo App – uploaded and rated by users worldwide.
Changing Places toilets provide a height adjustable changing bench with hoist and plenty of space. Visit their website for more information and a map of where Changing Places can be found.
The National Key Scheme for accessible toilets that can be found in shopping centres, cafes, department stores and in bus and train stations around the country. To unlock the toilets, you’ll need to buy a RADAR key.
ToiletMap – Great British Toilet Map gives opening hours and locations – use the filter to find accessible toilets.
Further Advice
Bladder and Bowel UK: Resources for bladder and bowel problems in children > scroll down to ‘Toilet Training’ and ‘Children with additional needs and disabilities’
Contact (for families with disabled children): Potty and toilet training >
CBeebies Parenting: Potty Training Children with Additional Needs >
ERIC (The Children’s Bladder and Bowel Charity) > offers information about potty training and a live chat facility Monday’s and Tuesday’s.
Your child may need supportive equipment to help them have a bath or shower. If they are being seen regularly, your occupational therapist (OT) will assess their needs so that these tasks are made as easy and stress-free as possible. If your child is not being seen regularly, but it has become difficult to manage any of these activities, contact your GP or neuromuscular consultant and ask for a referral to an OT.
There are many manufacturers and a wide variety of equipment to suit different ages. These include:
- Using the bath: bath chairs, lifts, cushions, inserts and portable baths
- Showering: multi-function shower & commode chairs, mobile and wall – mounted shower cradles and trolleys, shower chairs and stools
- Getting dressed: you may need a changing mat or table. Also, life might be a bit easier for both you and your child if their clothing were better designed and easier to get on and off (see below).
Your OT should be able to advise you what will meet your child’s needs. They should be able to provide most items of equipment and / or tell you how to get assistance to pay for them.
It may be helpful to have an idea of what is available for when you have any discussions with your child’s OT or physio:
Living Made Easy > – choose the top tab: Health and personal care.
Also see: Tab 15. Funding For Equipment on the Equipment Page >.
These links take you to possible options for making clothes more comfortable and manageable:
- Living Made Easy >
- choose the tab at the top: Health and personal care
- click on clothing
- select one of the options from the list
- scroll down to Features on the left-side
- Tick ‘Child-friendly design’ box.
Families have recommended these suppliers of ‘adaptive’ clothing and footwear that still offers style:
- Fledglings > Contact’s not for profit shop to support the charity
- Rackety’s > range sold by Fledglings
- Friendly Shoes >
- BILLY Footwear> range sold by Fledglings
Some families who have difficulty keeping their children’s feet warm have recommended looking at the shop at:
- would like a printed copy of this information
- have questions we haven’t answered
- need support