The “Child-Oriented” (CO) or the “Brazelton” Approach

The methods for teaching toddlers the skill using the toilet have changed over time. When parents forced training on children during the first half of the twentieth century, failures of that approach led experts to develop alternatives. Pediatrician Dr. T. Berry Brazelton developed his own child-centered, slower-paced potty training method over years working with children and their parents. In 1962, the medical journal Pediatrics published the successful results of a study he did using this technique with his patients. In 2004, he published “Toilet Training the Brazelton Way.” The book covers Brazelton’s toilet training in great detail and encourages a child to set the pace, encouraging her to want to use the toilet. This way, she will not get angry and oppositional because her parents are trying to force her.

Results of toilet training obtained from the records of 1,170 children in pediatric practice over a 10-year period are summarized. The suggested method stressed the child9s interest and compliance in developing autonomous control. This was instituted at about 2 years of age and depended on his physiologic and psychologic readiness. Initial success was achieved simultaneously in both bowel and urinary control in 79.5% of the cases, 12.3% in bowel control alone, and 8.2% in urinary control. This first accomplishment was reached at an average age of 27.7 months. Daytime training was completed between 2 and 2½ years of age in 80.7% of this group. The average age for day training was 28.5 months; males and females showed no significant difference; first children were 1.2 months slower than their siblings. Night training was accomplished by 3 years in 80.3% of cases. The average age for completion of all training was 33.3 months. Males took 2.46 months longer for complete training. First children were delayed 1.7 months in complete training in relation to their siblings. Of the children who had chronic difficulties in this area, 76 (6.5%) were untrained at 4 years, and 16 (1.4%) were failures by the age of 5 years. The value of such a child-oriented program in preventing residual symptoms is stressed.

This page includes the following topics and synonyms: Brazelton Child-Oriented Toilet Training Method.

In the 1960s, Pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton developed a “Child-Oriented” potty training (CO) method because he was concerned that parents were pushing their children to potty train before they were ready, and using rigid, sometimes harsh, tactics. This wasn’t good for the child

Results of toilet training obtained from the records of 1,170 children in pediatric practice over a 10-year period are summarized. The suggested method stressed the child's interest and compliance in developing autonomous control. This was instituted at about 2 years of age and d

Learning bowel and bladder control is a major developmental task and can be especially challenging for children on the autism spectrum. The child oriented potty training method seeks to create a positive and stress free potty training experience for the parent and child.