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Misinformed
Getting the Facts Straight About Bedwetting in Special Needs Kids
By Lyn Mettler
Bedwetting is a sensitive topic that's often swept under the rug. Such silence leads to all sorts of misconceptions about the causes, treatments and other issues surrounding bedwetting, or enuresis, for both parents and kids.
Bedwetting is something you should talk about with your family, fellow parents and especially your doctor. By getting the facts straight you will be able to more effectively help your child work through this difficult problem.
The following are some of the most common misconceptions about bedwetting and special needs children and why they're not true.
When something goes wrong, many people are quick to point a finger, needing a place to lay blame. "I think most people ... assume that someone is always to blame whether it's the child or the parent," says Dr. John Gaudet, a pediatrician in Hattiesburg, Miss.
But bedwetting is nobody's fault, especially not your child's. Who would want to wake up wet every morning?
"Parents may mistakenly assume that if a child can control urination during the day, there is no reason he or she should not be able to do so at night as well," says Dr. Amy Pakula, a neuro-developmental pediatrician in Atlanta, Ga. and professor at Emory University. "They may view their child's bedwetting as attention seeking, oppositional or passively defiant behavior. Others may simply feel that their child is too lazy to get out of bed and take care of business."
Instead of placing blame on their child, some parents may feel that it's their fault – because they were bedwetters themselves and passed it down, because they didn't toilet train them right or because they haven't handled it the "correct" way.
Want to see more?
- Dry Days Ahead Helping Special Needs Children Learn to Use the Toilet
- Bedwetting and Special Needs Kids
- Absorbent Undergarments and Special Needs Children
- Words That Heal: Incontinence Solutions for Special Needs Kids
- Bedwetting and Summer Camp: Does Your Special Needs Child Have to Miss Out on All the Fun?
- Under Special Circumstances: Sleep Disorders and Bedwetting in Special Needs Children
- Bedwetting and Special Needs Children: How Treatment Varies With Age
