To poop or not to poop.....

   As a special needs momma I have heard a lot of talk of poop problems. Thankfully, we don't have too much of an issue with that here. Or so I thought.... Up until now, our biggest issue is that Liam has IBS which means he is either constipated or has diarrhea. (We did go through a phase where he would hide when he had to go. He was about 5 or so when this took place. He would hide because he didn't want to stop playing to go poop. It was about 6 months before he stopped doing that and we were back to "normal." Our "normal.")

   We then went through an, "I don't know if I have to go or not" phase. Where he would scream and cry because he couldn't tell if he had to go, or just had gas. We are still partially in this phase as it rears it's ugly head at least once a week. How do you explain to your autistic child when they have to poop??? I mean, when ya gotta go, ya gotta go. I have no words for that. It's a feeling. To me, it's indescribable.

   Now we have a new phase mingling with that, which is, he doesn't want to poop. Yes, you read that right. So now, when he can tell he has to go, he SCREAMS. He cries. He tells us, "I don't like the way it feels." Does it hurt? Nope. "It  feels gross," he says. So either, he can't tell that he has to go, or he can, and doesn't like how it feels.

   So I wonder, how as a parent I can help him through this. I mean, I know it's sensory.  DUH, that's a given. But how in God's name do I make this okay for him???? It's pooping. It's a natural part of life. He HAS to poop. How do I make this easier on him????

           "I wish I could stop eating so my body would stop                                                              pooping!"

   The worst part of being a parent is when there is something ailing or bothering your child, and you as his/her parent can't fix it. That's our job. They look to us for guidance and help, and when we can't give it then what?

   I am at a loss so any advice here is appreciated and welcomed. PLEASE, help me, help this kid poop.

     (Oh, and he still doesn't wipe himself. He will try once in awhile with A LOT of prompting and begging. It's a germ thing. He can't stand the thought of wiping his own arse. We pray this ends soon because I can't be wiping a 30 year old man's butt!) So any advice there is also appreciated! (btw, we have tried wet wipes, bribing, begging, sticker charts, making him sit there and refusing to wipe it. That was fun. He sat there and screamed til he was hoarse and I ended up wiping him any way. Iron will in this kid!)