Kids with ADD

The poo thing is called "smearing". My four year old daughter has PDD-NOS (A form of Autism). I am not telling you your daughter is Autistic but smearing is very common with Autistic kids. They are really big about textures, and something about the poo's texture draws them to it. Gross, I know! I would make an appointment with your child's doctor and ask to get her tested. The thing about the testing is that you have to be honest about what's going on. You may be right, she may just be ADD and testing her is the first step to find out what's going on.

One more thing, I can yell and punish my daughter until I am blue in the face about smearing, and she will still do it. Try having her help you clean it up or have her watch you clean it. She isn't doing it to be bad. And it has nothing to do with bathroom schedule. I can take my daughter to go poo and she'll go and an hour later her room is covered. I know it's tough and it's not pretty.

M.- I guess the best advice I can give after reading your post is to get your sweet daughter a complete work-up/evaluation, first by her Pediatrician and then by whatever specialists are needed. It is hard for any parent to admit that there may be some challenges with their child but early intervention is the key to helping them reach their potential. Smearing feces is not a primary symptom of ADD.I think there may be some additional challenges that need to be addressed asap. You should also be working with your child's school and get an IEP (Individualized Education Plan)to address all of her needs. There is also a local organization, the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. They are a group of parents whose mission is to support other parents and family members of children with special emotional needs. I wish you all the best!

Fecal smearing could be a sign of something more severe...she could have autism, etc...but she definitely needs to be evaluated and seen by a child psychologist. Fecal smearing in someone with disabilities could be a sign of manipulation - and also it is self-stimulating for them to watch the caregiver clean it up. The best thing you can do while getting her evaluated is to have a regular toilet schedule and assist/monitor her while she is in there. Chances are, with her disability, your explanation of inappropriate behavior is not going to change it. The psychologist can recommend behavioral interventions and a behavioral management strategy to help you. My heart goes out to you....hang in there and please keep us updated.

Poor thing. I think you should take her to be evaluated for a learning disability. More often than not, a child psychologist works at the facility and tests for things other than learning problems, they kind of look at the whole picture, which can be very beneficial.

I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 14 and have a clear memory of the testing itself and how well rounded it all was. Of course, I have only been to that one clinic, called Success Unlimited which is in Southern California. Look into what is available in your area, I am sure you will be able to find something that works for you. It sounds like your daughter has some difficulties that can be ironed out by being evaluated by a specialist. But if something doesn't seem right with who you are seeing, always trust your motherly intuition and seek answers elsewhere! Good luck, please let us know how it all turns out.

M., it's never easy when a child has a disability. But, you won't know for certain until you get her evaluated. She could be depressed about something happening in school. Has this happened before or only with the onset of the new school year? You are assuming she has ADD/ADHD, and you might be right. Set up an assessment and proceed from there. Meanwhile, I'd talk to her and teach her that's not acceptable behavior, and that she cannot continue smearing her poop around the bathroom. It can make her sick as well as all of the other family members who must use the same bathroom. Does she understand that? Also, what happens if we have company. Do you think they will want to return? At 7, she should be able to see some of the inappropriateness of her actions. Then, I ask her if she knows why she's doing it. If she said no, then, I'd try a little parent psychology. Maybe a positive reinforcement method, first. Sweetie, let's try something--each time you go to the bathroom, poop and don't smear the poop, you'll get a big hug and/or a sticker from mommy. Don't force yourself to poop, but when it happens, let me know. If you earn 3 stickers this week, then we can take a trip to the park or get an ice cream cone. If she earns the 3 stickers, say GREAT JOB, YOU DID IT. Then stretch them out. Wow! You earned 3 stickers. If you can earn 5 stickers, we can go to ... Something inexpensive, but fun for her. Maybe get a book from library. You get the point? There's a book, 1-2-3 Magic, that offers solutions other than spanking children to modify undesireable behavior. If your child does have a disability, some of the techniques in the book do help, and if your child needs visual cues, like an "I Did It" Chart, you might see some improvement in the near future. And, I'd have her clean her own poop as a consequence for the negative behavior. She's 7. Get some rubber gloves for her and watch as she cleans to ensure she doesn't overflow toilet with paper. Have her use diluted dish liquid, baking soda and water and when she's done with the worst of it, you re-clean using bleach and water. When my daughter was 2, she went through a period when she liked to poop in the tub and play with it. Ugh! Not sure what the fascination with the poop is, but maybe you have a budding doctor or chemist in the family. Don't despair. Both my children have some sort of label and I went through a period of grieving. But, don't allow yourself to become discouraged before learning what's going on with her. If it is indeed ADD/ADHD, just be encouraged and know you can love your child and she can overcome any challenges she might have with loving and caring parents as her advocates. School counsellors can help, but you will be very important to her mental and emotional well-being.

you have received (mostly) good advice. i too have a friend whose daughter has done weird poo-related things. she is getting evaluated now. do have her evaluated, do not blame yourself for her behaviour or for how you handled it in the past. move forward. you may want to find some local groups of parents of children with special needs from whom you can get advice and share stories. good luck!

a seven year old who plays with her poo and spreads it all over the bathroom has potential serious problems, not ADD !!the next time she does this, make her clean it up HERSELF
AND DONT LET HER CRY HER WAY OUT OF IT !! this shocking
behaviour has more to do with her getting pleasure out of
making a horrible mess that someone else has been cleaning up for her. first off, MAKE HER CLEAN UP HER OWN MESS, PERIOD !!if it means dragging her back to the bathroom, handing her a cleaning bucket and a sponge and then locking her in the bathroom.. thats what it means.. no exceptions, no time outs then, once the crying and screaming stops and the cleaning begins , dont walk away
because chances are good, she will try to slip out of the bathroom without having cleaned it at all. stay outside the bathroom until the child tells you its clean, then
without letting the child out of your sight, do a point by point inspection. turn over rugs, and check behind the
hardware..if its not spotless, make her do it again. chances are good, if she spends several hours cleaning
the bathroom where she made a mess, she will quickly
learn not to do it. second, take her NOWHERE FOR THE NEXT MONTH EXCEPT TO SCHOOL, CANCEL EVERYTHING ELSE FOR HER
but make certain this does not put any one else out
actually, first off the next time she makes a mess in the
bathroom, take pictures. so if social services decides
that the child shouldnt have to clean up her own mess, you
have proof of what shes done. then, once the mess is cleaned up, take her to a shrink THAT DAY.. AND TAKE THE PICTURES WITH YOU.
K. H.

I would contact your pediatrician right away, this doesnt sound normal to me. I have never heard of or met anyone that "lets" there child do this over & over. I have known others that have had this happen once or twice when a child is 1st learning to poop on the potty but this souunds like an issue that needs addressed a.s.a.p ( yesterday)
good luck ~!
BTW: I wouldnt let this happen, stay in the BR w/ her & do not let her do this.