Autism Journey Day 28-I dreaded potty training. I was afraid Paige would never get it. We had a “potty party” that ended up being very successful. When big things needed to happen with Paige I relied on others for support. I had a lot of anxiety that things wouldn’t happen and the only way to silence those thoughts was to dive in with a trusted partner by my side. This was a job that ABA helped with. One thing I learned as we navigated many twists and turns was that things were better when we used the most highly reinforcing items only for those big events. The things that she loved and ONLY got when we needed something big from her were toy Pom-pons and a tub of lima beans. I bought a new set of pom pons for every blood draw, injection, dental visit, and for the potty party. We loaded Paige with tons of fluids so we knew she would need to go potty. We sat her on the toilet for a long time. While she sat she could play with the pom pons or put her feet in the lima beans. We continued on this way for the majority of the morning. Paige got breaks after she went potty and then we would bring her back to the toilet. This was a tedious process for all of us, but it worked! I think the important thing to remember is that nearly all kids will become potty trained. Usually they are not ready to toilet train at the same age as typically developing children, but it just takes a bit longer. Paige was toilet trained at age four. I can’t remember the last time I bought pom pons, so our training with Paige worked. Now when she needs her blood drawn she doesn’t need any toys or reinforcing items. She gets her blood drawn yearly and recently got both of her Covid vaccines with no hitches. This was another instance when doing the hard work early on has paid off. We are so proud of Paige!