Ep30 - Preverbal to potty trained in under 2 months!

Ep30 – Preverbal to potty trained in under 2 months!

From This Episode:

Angela joined my program when her daughter Monroe was 3 and a half and preverbal.

Not surprisingly, her 2 big struggles were: communication and potty training. We went to work on these immediately and my team and I helped Angela make some deliberate changes.

In less than 60 days, Monroe was communicating all of her wants and needs to Angela. AND she was fully potty trained! 👏

If you have a child that needs potty training at ANY age, please know that you are not alone and WE GET RESULTS for ages 2+ into young adulthood in my Champions For Our Children Coaching Program.

Don’t even know where to begin?

Are you ready to successfully potty train?

Book your call HERE so I can learn about your baby and I can tell you about my program and see if you’re a good fit.

Full Episode Transcript:

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TRANSCRIPT HERE - Ep30 - Preverbal to potty trained in under 2 months!

think, you know, I want to get emotional again. But you know when they give you that diagnosis you think this is it, you know, is my child ever going to talk you know, she, you know you, you think as a parent, you know I want her to be able to dry by, you know hope she goes to college and you know just everything as a parent you hope and dream for. So when you get that diagnosis and not everyone, but I guess for me personally, it just kind of stuck those hopes and dreams away for a little bit
    
    
Welcome to the autism mommy's potty talk Podcast. I'm Shelby Rogers, autism mom and life coach. I help parents with children with autism poor pre verbal to start communicating potty train guarantee.

You're listening to the autism moms potty talk Podcast, episode 30.

Hi, everybody, if you don't know who I am, my name is Michelle. I am an autism mom and life coach and I run the program. The champions for children masterclass.

It's a group coaching program for parents of children with autism. And I'm here with one of my fabulous graduates, Angela, who's taking the time to come speak to us today and tell us about her experience working with me and my team. So thank you, Angela, for coming today. Can't wait. Awesome. So I guess we'll start right, right. We'll just kind of dive right into it. And I want to know about your experience with the program. But before we do that, I want to understand, what were you looking for? What made you What was your biggest struggles before joining the masterclass.

So before joining my daughter, Monroe, she's three and a half. We got her autism diagnosis this year, January 2023, right before her third birthday. So we got the autism diagnosis. And that was basically we were having early intervention, just ot come to the house twice a week. And then we were doing virtual speech once a week.

So that wasn't really benefiting her just with the speech. So we felt like we needed something more data and I and then also we were struggling. She Monroe wasn't potty trained. And she's pre verbal.

So the communication was a huge struggle, just not knowing she understands gray. But we didn't really know how to get her to communicate back with us. So those were the two big things we were really looking for help with was potty training and communication. Amazing

So what was it that drew you to joining the masterclass.

So I saw you on Facebook, and it was potty training, and you kept popping up and so I kept watching these little bits of you just like talking about your own experience. You offered a free webinar. And so I joined that I was with you and Armando and you just had me hooked after that. I said I need to join this. I knew it was gonna work. I just I had a great feeling about it. And then within less than two months of joining the masterclass Monroe was fully potty trained
these What do you think was like the needle mover? Like when you join that help that to happen for you?

I'm just one your story with your daughter, um, our mando being an adult with autism and where he's had in his life. And just seeing all the other parents on one knowing that I wasn't alone. And that there was hope. And it just really like gave me just hope because I didn't have hope. I don't mean to get emotional. But before I met you, like you just don't know how much you changed our lives. And it's just been so amazing. Because when I got the diagnosis, I was just, I was at a loss. I really was. Um, I would just have outbursts crying. I just felt depressed. I didn't know how to help my daughter. So when I found you and your amazing team, you guys just gave us a new hope. Like we felt like this, isn't that, you know, to her autism diagnosis wasn't the end

You know, I was like, okay, she can get potty trained. She can talk she can communicate. And she is she's potty trained. Monroe didn't have any sign language before starting your program. She knows 10 plus signs. She's so she's way more, you know, she's trying to be verbal. Like I said, She's pre verbal, but she'll make animal noises.

She says some numbers, some letters. So it's, it's so different now from what it was back in January.

Got it.

So let's talk about a couple of things. One of the two big goals, you had work communication and potty training, we got potty training. First she was by trained and under two months, you had some more programs, and then we started working on communication. And when you started, one of the things we always talk about is in the program is when you join is that we want to baseline we want to create a blueprint, a personalized group blueprint for potty training and communication based on where your child's at.

So when you came on the calls, one of the decisions that we made was that we were going to start with sign language because she was pre verbal. And one of the things I always like to explain to parents is I always look at like, a pre verbal baby is like there's thoughts here and then on the other hand is their voice and the neuropathy between the two, it's kind of like asleep, and we always recommend to do a bridge, teach them a bridge form of communication to kind of kickstart that process. So they want you to kind of explain what happened like the bat, like what was your thoughts about the idea of teaching her sign language when you desperately wanted to hear her voice?

Um, it was tough at first because when she was about six months to a year old, we tried the Baby Signing like the more all done and she never picked up on that. So I immediately thought well, this isn't going to work you know, we try to you know, this isn't going to work again.

But we talked about it and we said okay, you know, we're gonna we're gonna try it and I'm just gonna really stick to it this time I'm gonna hand over hand like we talked about giving her the signs for the specific thing she wanted and she needed instead of just like the general like more
that makes a big difference right so like when we talk huge wars the gimmies the pleases and the reason why I hate those so much is because it's not teaching the child like to label the things that they need and they could be giving you more pleasing give me for everything. So when you try it very specific like I actually use the more sewing for Juliana to represent cookie Did you feel like that was a big shift for her
huge shift once we figured out her specific like wants and needs so for instance, she loves like chicken nuggets. And you know, I pads huge. So once we figured out the iPad sign the chicken nugget sign certain things like that.

It changed drastically like she because I started like we had talked about withholding certain things like the iPad until she was fine. You know, once I showed her a few times that the hand over hand once I like decided, Okay, well I'm not going to give this to you until you sign she picked up on it real quick. Like she's like, Okay, if I got to do the sign for iPad then and she did and that's what my how we kind of went forward with that with your help because head had you not suggested that I would have just been you know, doing the more all
over the place.

Yeah. And then yeah, just something about teaching.

I'm not like I don't want to shake can more give me please because I'm sure they have their place. But when when we're trying to, you know, help a child feel like I remember when I taught Juliana the sign for cookie. Like I almost felt like she picked it up so fast because she saw how powerful it was for her that she had her voice in her hands. And that having that ability she was so much more well I loved it because if she wanted something she had to come find me she couldn't stay in her world twisting toys and drooling all over them. And me just handing her cookies whenever I thought she wanted them she wanted them now I withheld deliberately so that she'd have to stop what she was doing.

Come find me and give me the sign and one of the things I think I loved about sign language, Julianne it was like and I don't know if this is how you felt. It was like it was the first step of bringing my baby back to me. Yeah,
I definitely felt that way at all.

So and it was just like amazed because I knew she was capable of it cuz she she picks up on a lot of things and she likes to um cuz, like, I'll do something and then she'll do it, you know. And so I'm like, she's definitely gonna pick this up. I know, I just knew I had to be the one to because the same thing I would always data and I, oh, we know she's thirsty. Let's give her her water. Oh, we know she's hungry. Let's just make her, you know, whatever we think she wanted.

Oh, I know, she wants the iPad. So it was like we were, we weren't really given her the opportunity to even try to use her words or try to communicate a different way because we just thought we were helping her by basically doing everything before her.

And I know the ultimate goal that we all want is vocal language. And we're still on the mission to get this for Monroe. There's no doubt in my mind that we're going to keep working at this and that vocal language is next.

I believe that what do you think Angela? Die
100% believe that because prior to starting the program, she was making sounds and noises. But nothing that really like she got my mom, my mama and at first we thought she was saying mama, but then we started to think maybe it's just the noise. She's making it really it doesn't have to have to do with me.

But now she should like show watch, like a video of like a song. And then she'll, she'll like Nat Nat, they'll do like a knock knock song. And then I'll hear going back. And like I said, she'll count from one to 10 and she'll go 123 Even on her fingers. So she's making you know, some words and she'll go, we'll listen to like, Old MacDonald had a farm and she'll go mucho Quack, quack. You know, so she. So I know it's coming. I know it deep down. You know, I feel it. I just know it. I mean, it's gonna take her I think a little bit longer, you know, but we know it's kind of even dad's like, I just know she's gonna start talking.

Yes, and this is what happens. I think a lot of people Me included when they had brought up the idea of giving her a communication device or pecs or sign language to talk. I'm like, Well, why did she ever talk before teaching or this. And this is what it is, when they are when that neural pathway is dormant between thought and voice. This these temporary and I always say temporary, because we're always on the mission of getting vocal language, these temporary communication protocols are put in place to help the child to have their voice now while we're working on creating sounds with intent. And what it just what ends up happening is that when we give them that voice that they can instantly use I mean, Giuliana learn one sign in a day and 10 signs within a week, how fast did Monroe learn her signs pretty quicker, gets pretty
quick, I think we we kind of took our time, just because I don't think we wanted to overwhelm or too much like if we were doing like once a one every week, you know, just trying to get her you know, and then as soon as like, she'd start doing it by herself where I didn't have to hand over hand it then I said Okay, now let's start with the next one. Yeah, and
there's everybody's way of like, it doesn't matter at the end of the day. The goal here is to give Monroe her voice now. And that's that, that that's the aim. But once we do that, and again, we're going to talk about beliefs in a minute too. But once we do that, and you start to hear different sound creation, which is now intentionally repeating back what she hears in her environment, her music, her one, two threes. This is now the path towards intentional language. And for anyone who has their doubts about this because I did to say it has been studied, tried and true that if you teach a pre verbal baby, a bridge warm communication that signs packs, or an AAC device, the chances of them having vocal language increase, really, it stirs something up, it fires the O engines on all cylinders. And then that's when you start hearing a lot more sound creation. So the next step brands is because now that she's got about 15 signs, and she's repeating now I'm going to have her start creating sounds to represent the things that she wants. And it doesn't have to be the full word with Giuliana, like one of the things she loved was gold fish, and she couldn't say gold and she couldn't say fish. So all she would do is the sound for goldfish. And that's how we would start with her now using her voice instead of just sine and what ends up happening is sine will be way up high and the sound creation will be low and there'll be a point where they'll be I'll be signing and making sounds at the same times and then sign will fall away. So I want you to see just from what she shared. This is The path that now Monroe is on I'm from the grace from the progress that she's made sound creation now is imminent. And when I say imminent, like we're going to talk, Angela and I, because she's still a part of the program, we're going to talk through her next steps. Because we're talking within a week or two, we should start getting more intentional sound creation, because that's the next path for Monroe. So I'm very excited for hope you're very excited to so excited and I want to talk about my intentional use of the word pre verbal, because I a lot of the marketing material I have out there talks about, hey, do you have a child that's nonverbal? The only reason I use that language is because it's very identifiable in our world. But I don't encourage families to describe their children as nonverbal. And this is why when I say nonverbal, I personally never thought of even though my child had language and lost it. So technically, she was nonverbal. I never described her that way. I never really saw her that way. When I think the word nonverbal I think it's final unchangeable, right? So then that kind of affects me mentally, because of I think that this is something that can't be changed something that is difficult to turn around, right? If the actions I take might be pretty shitty, I might not really even want to work on this, because I think it's already like a lost cause. So when I think pre verbal, I feel like language is coming. And with Monroe language is already here, which is the fabulous thing, right? But I want you to just just share with that, because we do do a lot of tactical work, right, I give her the step by step on high training, give her the step by step on communication. But can you talk a little bit about that support in this program?

Yeah, of course. So as with the communication, like I said, like when I started her not having any words, any sound, she was having, like the meltdowns, the tantrums, we were really were at a loss. We didn't know really what to do. The speech that we were only getting virtual once a week. She had, you know, me mentioned the pecs and signing and I said, Okay, well, you know, I don't know, she just wasn't really out. I mean, she was she was great. We were thankful that we were getting, you know, something was better than nothing. But it just wasn't really benefiting us. So when I started the program, you guys really like you Armando? Just the QA, the whole team, everybody really gave specific. You and all you guys, it wasn't just like a general like, Okay, this is just what we do with kids who don't talk and it was okay, you guys really took the time to get to know me to know Monroe. And then you base that off of that. So that was like it everything even though there's other people in the in the master class, it's very personal, you know, you get, you really get like that one on one. So that was like, huge, because it wasn't just general. Like, yeah, I would take some things like listen to them when they talk, you know, when you guys talk to other parents, and then I'd say, Okay, well, I'm gonna try that with her also, you know, but as far as it when it came to, like the potty training, and the communication, you guys were very, like, specific. And if there was an issue, if something didn't work, or anything like that, I could just come to you guys. And then you guys would say, Okay, we'll try this instead. Or do this instead of that. And so that was helpful to you know, wasn't just, okay, do this. And nope, just keep doing it. And if it doesn't work, well, I don't know what to tell you just now it would never not have answers. Right? Always an answer, you know, and helped me see things different. Also, you know, like, I think sometimes we all get stuck on, like, certain things, and we only see it, you know, one way. But that was another thing about the master class. It opened up my eyes, and it was it made me see things differently. So that was like, also like, very helpful, like with the mindset coaches and everything and just you to you know, just like, I gotta have a positive attitude, I gotta believe in it, or it's not gonna work, you know?

Right, like, what if, and that's why I love having Armando a part of the program, but even, you know, having him and just understanding that would if it's possible to have autism and live an amazing life. Right.

Right. And that's, that's really like, with your daughter and how far she's, you know, how far she's come in life and you know, Armando and so I was just like, You know what, we're gonna do this because, you know, you think, you know, and I don't want to get emotional again, but you know, when they give you that diagnosis, As you think this is it, you know it was my child ever gonna talk, you know, she, you know, you, you think is a parent, you know, I want her to be able to drive by, you know, hope she goes to college and you know, just everything as a parent you hope and dream for. So when you get that diagnosis, and not everyone, but I guess for me personally, it just kind of took those hopes and dreams away for a little bit. Because I felt like well, maybe, maybe she's never gonna have that. And then you came into my life. God, God brought you to me and yeah, it's, it's so different. And it's so wonderful. And, you know, we, we have such a different outlook on it. And I just know, like, she's gonna have that life, you know, and then we might have some struggles along the way. And it might take us a little bit longer to, you know, accomplish something, but it's possible. And that's what the masterclass, you know, gives you it gives you all that confidence back and all the tools to really make that happen.

Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing one last question. It's so amazing. Really putting it out there. And that's what I want people to understand is like, gosh, you know, why could your baby, I don't want that this is the worst case scenario, what if your baby could have the life like my daughter's gonna live? What if living an independent life is possible for all of our babies? And we've got to start believing that out of the gate, the sooner we believe that the sooner we show up and the identity of a parent who expects nothing less, and the action we take, it's like putting gasoline on that fire. That's why it's not just about tactical with me, it is about the mindset. I gotta set your brain free to believe like it did before the diagnosis came for
her.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
All right, so one last question. Before we wrap up. Do you recommend anyone to join my masterclass? Yeah.

I really recommend everyone and I even people with children on the spectrum. I mean, even neurotypical I mean, you guys give such amazing advice, you know, like, even if Monroe didn't have autism, and she wasn't potty trained. I mean, potty training is tough, like, I have friends who have kids, you know, and their kids are just, you know, neuro neurotypical children, and they're like, I How did you get her potty trained so quick? And I'm like, you gotta you gotta look. Yeah. You know, I'm like, even if it's just like the potty training, I'm like, it's amazing. Because you really, you read all these books, you know, and they help you a little bit. But, I mean, just like I said, that, that personal view, just, you guys personalize everything. And I think that's what like, really, like, helps is just, you know, and you feel like a part of a family. And you don't feel alone. And I just, you know, sometimes I'm like, Oh, I'm gonna just email her and hope I'm not bugging her. But then, you know, after a while, you know, I, I feel like I know you.
Yeah, you do.

Right and right. And I think that's the other thing is like, you guys really care. You know, like, I feel that I feel like you guys want the best for her and the bats for us. And I think that's what makes the program even more amazing. Is that, like, you guys genuinely care about all of us and our children? And that just makes it like, a million times better?

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me today. You help so many, please. And I love the idea of of potty training. Occupy train any child is a problem. Yeah. But and that's my, that's my jam. But yeah, anybody who needs help I train give me a ring. But thank you. It was so thank you so much for coming today. Angela. It's so appreciated.

Thank you for having me.
If you're ready to help your baby now with potty training, communication or stopping their problem behaviors, I want to invite you to watch my free 10 minute video training that shows you how I took my daughter with autism from pre verbal to sign language potty training with a sign to making sounds and then speaking, head over to Michelle B rogers.com. Forward slash training. That's Michelle M i c h e l l e, Bs and boy Rogers r o g e r s.com forward slash training. See you there You.

Michelle B. Rogers
Autism Mom, Life Coach