What is AITT?

Assisted infant toilet training (AITT) is a way to educate babies about toilet learning (an important part of personal hygiene) starting any time from birth to toddlerhood, but ideally before 6 months of age. Infants need caregiver assistance until they are able to handle tasks such as getting to the bathroom on time and mounting/dismounting the toilet or potty. AITT involves the use of communication through cue association, vocalizations, body language, hand signals, verbalizations and other means. It is based on the way infants are toilet trained in much of Asia and Africa and has been adapted to a modern Western lifestyle. There are other names for AITT, the most popular being elimination communication (EC), infant potty training (IPT) and natural infant hygiene (NIH).


Is AITT infant-oriented?

Yes. Since AITT is mainly based on a caregiver's understanding of and responsiveness to an infant's communication about elimination needs as well as on a baby's individual elimination timing/schedules, it is infant-oriented.


How is it done?

AITT begins with close observation of an infant's elimination timing (how frequently a baby eliminates in relation to waking or feeding), body language (such as twisting, straining or grimacing while defecating) and vocalizations (such as fussing or grunting while defecating). Subsequently, when the caregiver senses that elimination is imminent, she gently holds the infant over a basin, toilet or other receptacle in an in-arms position, with close contact between the infant's back and the caregiver's chest, and with the infant's legs flexed. Meanwhile, the caregiver gives an audible or other signal to prompt the infant to eliminate, holding the child in position for a short time, often until1 elimination is completed. A healthy infant learns this cue association effortlessly and quickly. AITT can also be started with older babies and toddlers.


What are the benefits?

The main beneficiaries are babies, parents and the environment. In more detail, AITT:


Can working parents use AITT?

Yes, AITT can be done part time. Even for stay-at-home parents, it is important to find a healthy balance between AITT and all other daily activities and tasks.


How is AITT different from regular toilet training?

We recognize that babies are aware of elimination from birth and that they can communicate about it and start to learn about bladder and bowel control much earlier in life than most Westerners believe is possible. There is no pressure or punishment involved with AITT. It is a gradual, gentle and rewarding practice that takes place over many months.


How is AITT completion defined?

A child completes AITT when he eliminates exclusively in the potty or toilet, with or without caregiver assistance. As with traditional toilet training, there may be occasional accidents around the time of completion.


What about the transition to total independence?

When the child completes AITT, he has good control of elimination and knows the correct place and position needed for this. Naturally, the caregiver still watches for signals, gives (occasional) reminders if she senses the child needs to visit the bathroom, and assists him whenever needed. Complicated hygiene tasks such as adjusting clothing and wiping may take longer to master and are taught along with other skills that correspond with the child's physical and cognitive development, until total independence in toilet training is achieved.