FAQs
How do I know if my child is ready to start toilet training?
This is a complicated question! For what it’s worth, the common ‘prerequisites’ that you hear - e.g., that your child should feel uncomfortable in a soiled diaper, or act interested in using the toilet before you start training — actually have no basis in research, and the vast majority of the children we are able to help achieve toileting success do NOT have any of these so-called prerequisites prior to training. Please contact us to discuss what signs of readiness do matter for your child and family; it varies so much case-by-case.
My child shows no interest in toilet training. Can you still help?
Yes, definitely! Many, many of the learners we work with are not interested prior to starting. We work hard to make the toileting process fun and help the learner achieve success as quickly as possible.
How should I prepare for working with Blackbird?
Please make sure you see your child’s doctor and explain you will be working on toilet training; they may have some insight to share about your child’s unique medical history that is very important to let us know about.
It’s also really helpful if you can record a few consecutive days of typical ‘elimination times’ for your child - these would be the times you notice they’ve peed or pooped.
I have a 16-year-old who is not toilet trained. Is it too late?
No way! The behaviour analytic research on toilet training, as well as our own experience in practice, tells us it is NEVER too late! We frequently work with teenagers to help them achieve successful toileting.
Do you work with kids with special needs?
Yes! Most of our in-person work here in B.C. is with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Note to parents in B.C., we are on the Registered Autism Service Provider List and you can use Autism Funding to pay for our services). We also work with children with other developmental disabilities regularly.
We are happy to work with children with ‘no diagnosis’ as well! Our toileting expertise is not specific to children with any particular diagnosis.
I see you are based in Vancouver and Nanaimo, and we don’t live near there. Can you still help?
Yes! We will come to you! We have travelled to families all over B.C. to offer in-home support, including rural areas. We can also offer telehealth support (via Zoom) if you are implementing the intervention on your own or if you live outside B.C. We have worked with families in 20 different states in the U.S., and countries ranging from Australia to Brazil to Israel to Kenya!
Do you have a waiting list?
Yes, for our in-person services, it is typical for us to be booked at least a month in advance, and several months in advance for services that involve travel outside the Vancouver or Nanaimo area. Please get in touch as early as possible if you know you would like to pursue toileting services with us soon.
For telehealth services (parent coaching via Zoom), we have no waitlist and generally have some availability all the time!
What are the fees?
For our in-person services, the fees vary significantly from child to child. While some need an intensive teaching procedure to help them learn, others just need a little assistance. Sometimes, family members are able to do most of the implementation themselves, and we can offer some coaching to help. We are committed to helping families work within their budget to the greatest extent possible. Please contact us to discuss what the fees might look like in your situation.
If you’re using our coaching services via Zoom, you are welcome to book as many or as few appointments as you like - you can set your own budget (although we will make some recommendations on how much monitoring and follow-up would be most effective).
My child has been ‘pee trained’ for a long time but just won’t poop in the toilet. Is this something you can help with?
Yes, this is something that comes up often with learners we work with. Working on this issue starts with a careful assessment process in which we investigate the causes of the challenge and then work to address them specifically in a way that is fun and motivating for your child.
Do you have suggestions for equipment we will need for toileting - like a special seat or a footstool?
Yes! Once we are working with you, we will make some specific suggestions for items to enhance the toileting plan based on the learner’s interests and support needs.