Fecal smearing is a disgustingly humorous stage that infants go through. Yet when it happens to toddlers, the emotion can shift from amusing to worrying.
So, is a toddler playing with poop a sign of autism?
Fortunately, it is very natural for toddlers to experience fecal smearing as their sensory and perception systems are still developing, and they will eventually learn to outgrow it.
At this time, they start to ask more questions about their surroundings and internal functions. Therefore, the best time to start potty training is when your child somehow turns his poop into playdough.
In this article, I’ll go over some causes of fecal smearing as well as some helpful solutions.
What Does Fecal Smearing Mean?
A child’s smearing is when they wipe their poop on any surface or object. But, smearing refers to several actions, including:
- Removing feces from the toilet to manipulate or smear
- Selecting a location in the home to engage in feces play
- Masturbating while smearing
- Unclothe in the school restroom, smear feces on oneself, then dress up and go back to class
- Defecating in the bathroom and then smearing the surroundings while potty training.
Why Do Children Smear?
Children smear for several reasons. Some kids may smear for multiple reasons, or for different reasons at various times:
1. Medical Factors
Constipation or diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders, and abdominal or systemic pain are among medical conditions that may arise in children leading to smearing. Rectal digging and smearing may also occur in children who have protozoal infections.
Consequently, if they have stomach pain, pain in or around their bottom, or soiling (poo in their trousers, which is frequently brought on by constipation) they may explore. If they get poop on their hands, they might wipe it off on something nearby.
2. Sensory Factors
You perceive the world with your senses. These include your senses of touch, taste, hearing, sight, smell, balance, and awareness of your location about other people and the environment, as well as your body’s internal feedback systems (how you know you are hot, cold, hungry, tired, thirsty, etc).
Likewise, your child’s behavior may change if he has a different sensory experience, such as being overstimulated (hypersensitive) or under-stimulated (hyposensitive).
Fecal smearing may result from Sensory over-responsivity (SOR), such as tactile defensiveness (touch sensitivity), oral defensiveness (smell sensitivity), or weak interoception (difficulty feeling internal sensations like when it’s time to use the restroom), and Sensory Under-responsivity (SUR), in which the child needs more input to feel or smell certain things.
A child may avoid using the toilet if they are overly sensitive to bowel movements on the toilet such as flushing toilets, ceiling fans, the feel of toilet paper while wiping, or bathroom lights.
In contrast, being under-sensitive is the opposite of being hypersensitive, and some kids may want extra touch or smell inputs to help them calm down. They might enjoy the way the feces feels on their hands, or they might notice more smells than when they use the restroom.
However, is a toddler playing with poop a sign of autism? Unfortunately, sensory issues affect about 96 percent of kids with autism, and they probably contribute to fecal smearing in many of these kids.
3. Behavioral Factors
The majority of people dislike poop. Thus, if a kid smears, the reaction is probably going to be annoyance or anger. Every reaction is preferable to no response when it comes to children.
They might therefore be more prone to smearing at times when they are not being paid attention to, when they are bored, such as before bedtime, or when their families are busy.
Even if kids only receive a harsh response for their smearing, the attention reinforces the conduct and makes it more likely to occur again.
To get attention, a child may engage in the behavior out of fear, a need for connection, or because they are unable to express their discomfort verbally.
4. Psychology Problems
Smearing seems to occur more frequently in kids with processing issues like autism or attention deficit disorder (ADD). Children with trauma histories, anxiety disorders, or depressive disorders may also suffer from it.
Smearing might be a means for kids with these disorders to gain control over their bodies or actions when other aspects of life feel out of their control. It can be a means to communicate strong emotions like rage or displeasure. Also, it might give the kid comfort.
Is Toddler Playing With Poop a Sign of Autism?
Overstimulated children will want to stay away from locations that are full of sensations, such as places that are too noisy, too busy, or have strong scents.
Children who don’t have adequate stimulation may be less conscious of their bowel needs than other kids—soiling could happen as a result. The child may put his hands in his pants if he is unsure whether he has poop in them.
The same kids may deliberately look for strategies to boost sensory feedback. The poop is soft, warm, and smells bad. These all give sensory feedback to kids who don’t grasp why it’s inappropriate.
Unfortunately, for older kids, it could be a sign of autism and behavioral issues that can be treated appropriately with supportive activities and restrictive clothes.
When Should I Start Worrying About Fecal Smearing?
If your child is between the ages of 3 ½ to 4 and still engages in fecal smearing, it’s advised you speak with your doctor to rule out potential causes of fecal smearing and provide further help when needed.
Can Fecal Smearing Be Treated?
Even in autistic kids, fecal smearing is treatable. However, the behavior that precedes their action and the outcome you believe they are aiming for must be identified.
By addressing the underlying cause of the issue, the condition can be treated even when the cause is medical.
If Toddler Playing With Poop a Sign of Autism, What Can Be Done?
Understanding why your child is smearing is necessary to provide solutions for your child. Some helpful techniques include the following:
1. Keep a Record
Record keeping is one approach to fixing the problem in the beginning. Keep a written record of the times and locations of the smears as well as the events leading up to, during, and following each occurrence. This data makes it easier to spot trends or particular triggers that lead to behavior or the demand it satisfies.
2. Consult a Professional
Talk to the pediatrician and any other medical professionals who are treating your child, such as a nutritionist.
Before developing remedies or providing knowledge and resources, they might be able to detect or rule out one or more medical causes for the behavior.
3. Treat Sensory Problems
If you have ruled out any underlying medical concerns and determined that the primary cause is sensory (enjoys the smell, feel, or texture of feces), You can try providing alternatives to the feces, such as:
- Touch: warm pudding, clay, sand, water mixtures, toothpaste, and shower gel.
- Visual: clay, bread dough, shaving cream, and finger painting
- Smell: scented lotions, essential oils, Marmite, vinegar, and spices.
- Sound: Squeezing the material will produce a certain sound, as indicated by the texture.
As long as your child has no food allergies or intolerances, give them several opportunities throughout the day to engage in sensory play.
4. Address Behavioral Problems
Parents who often ask if a toddler playing with poop a sign of autism, would be surprised to find out that their toddler’s fecal behavior is merely a result of behavioral problems that need to be properly addressed.
Therefore, to correctly identify the factors influencing fecal behavior, seek out and collaborate with a medical professional (psychologist, behavioral therapist, or occupational therapist) to complete a Functional Behavior Assessment.
Use the information to create a personalized strategy for addressing the particular factors leading to the maintenance of the behavior. This is oftentimes called the A-B-C approach, which stands for:
- Antecedent – Behaviour – Consequence
This refers to the circumstances that exist before, during, and following the behavior. By using this method, you may be able to identify what causes the smearing or when it is most likely to occur so that you can employ distraction or other activities at those times to stop it.
Also, you might discover that your response to the smearing is something your child enjoys, which means you are unintentionally increasing the likelihood that your child will smear again.
After your child has smeared, make sure to pay as little attention as you can. Avoid giving your child what he enjoys after a smear. For instance, if he enjoys taking showers or baths after a smear, do it quickly or have someone else do it because he can perceive the clean-up as a reward for smearing and continue it.
Also, say as few words as you can, and avoid making prolonged eye contact with your child after smearing. Some families decide it’s best to take the child somewhere else and clean them up as quickly as possible while someone else cleans up the smear.
5. Potty Training Techniques
Your child should be able to use the toilet by the time he is 3 to 4 years old. Yet, because every child develops differently, the potty-training timeline differs for each toddler’s milestone.
Your child is probably prepared for potty training when he becomes 18 months old because it is the average timeframe. Children start to distinguish between clean and filthy around this time.
Oftentimes, the reason why toddlers take poop out of their diapers is either due to curiosity or a dislike of the feeling of being unclean. Hence, the a need for potty training.
To overcome potty training challenges, establish a toilet routine and gradually teach your child to clean himself.
6. Use Visual Reminders And Social Stories
You should read books that motivate your child to use the toilet. Also, make social stories using illustrations of your child using the bathroom in positive ways, and look for images that will reinforce and motivate him to use the restroom.
The usage of YouTube videos and favorite toys, characters, and even family members may be inspiring, and when they are displayed consistently throughout the home, they serve as a continual reminder of what is expected and considered normal in your household.
7. Use Adaptive Clothes
One more effective strategy to reduce or completely stop smearing is to wear special pajamas. These pajamas prevent children from reaching the feces through their clothing and restrict access to a child’s diaper or pull-up.
This idea is also available in everyday apparel that may be worn during the day, which might help you and your child feel more normal about things.
Conclusion
Parents and other caregivers may experience physical and mental stress as a result of fecal smearing. Therefore, to understand and help your child improve toileting abilities, you need professional assistance— It is a crucial step in decreasing or eliminating smearing.
So, are you still wondering if a toddler playing with poop a sign of autism? If yes, I need you to know this; no matter how much or how long smearing has happened, it can be decreased or reduced. Every child has a different reason for smearing, thus strategies will need to be tailored to each child’s triggers.
Additionally, to get everyone to adopt the same strategy, you will need to collaborate with everyone who is involved with your child (the school team, carers, and family members). Also, there shouldn’t be any punishment applied because doing so won’t stop such incidents.
Finally, use low-arousal strategies, such as being as emotion-neutral as you can. This involves not reacting positively or negatively to fecal smears. Moreover, if your child has this issue, please tell others so you can receive assistance and know that you don’t have to deal with the fecal smearing issue alone.
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