son's development

Hi. I have two boys, both of which have been foound to be cognatively delayed.  My oldest boy who is now 6 yrs. old had no interest in potty training until he was 4 yrs. old. My youngest who is three yrs. old has went from no interest in training to wanting to and then back to not wanting to again.  Is this normal or is it linked to their disability?   My husband thinks I should be pushing my tree yr. old to be potty trained.  But I have been told not to push him, that when he is ready he will start using the bathroom on a regular basis.  Please help me if possible.  Thank you so much.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

It's really not possible to say what motivates your son's attitude toward toilet training. But, a generally  sound approach is to continue to encourage and support him, without forcing the issue. It is not a good idea to pres a child. Many children, particularly boys, are not fully toilet trained by the age of three, so try not to be too alarmed.