Toilet Training Steps

Typically the steps of the toilet training sequence are:

• Enter the bathroom
• Close the bathroom door
• Pull down clothing
• Sit on the toilet
• Use the toilet
• Get toilet tissue
• Wipe with tissue
• Throw tissue in the toilet
• Stand up
• Pull up clothing
• Flush toilet
• Wash hands
• Dry hands
• Leave the bathroom

NOTE: Some of these steps may be combined into one if your child does not need the sequence to be as broken down as the list above. For example, he may be able to understand and follow combined steps such as “enter bathroom and close door” or “wash and dry hands”.

For most children, the adult(s) will be teaching, supporting, and supervising all of the steps in the toileting sequence. Some children may have already mastered some of these steps and do not need to be taught those parts of the sequence. To help your child learn and follow the routine, use pictures to represent the steps he needs to know. As you help him follow the sequence of the routine, show or point to the picture and say the words. You can find pictures online or in magazines, take photographs, or you can draw them with stick figures. Your child’s school may also be able to help with acquiring the pictures you need. As your child learns the toileting routine, he may need less or even no help with some or all of the steps of the sequence.

Resource for Training Steps