65. What is the Diaper Gap? (& How To Get Free Diapers & Pull-Ups!) with Aeroflow Urology
Aeroflow Urology helps parents and those with special needs 3+ receive free, high-quality diapers, pull-ups, and wipes through their insurance benefits. See if your loved one qualifies in under 2 minutes by visiting aeroflowurology.com/nourishingautism
In this episode of the Nourishing Autism Podcast, Brittyn is joined by Aleece Fosnight, a certified PA specializing in urology to discuss the challenges faced by families in affording diapers and other potty training products. This particular challenge has been identified as "The Diaper Gap".
Aleece shares how some families are even having to choose between affording diapers and affording groceries, or maybe forgoing certain helpful therapies for their child. This is why Aleece works with Aeroflow Urology, an incredible organization that helps families receive bladder control products for FREE through their insurance benefits.
Join Brittyn and Aleece as they talk about topics such as varying timelines for potty training, especially for autistic kids, and the importance of normalizing conversations about the bathroom and bodily functions with your child.
Episode Resources:
To learn more about the Diaper Divide: aeroflowurology.com/diaper-divide
Follow Aleece on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fosnightcenter/
Follow Aleece on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fosnightcenter/
Learn more about what she does through her website: www.fosnightcenter.com
Join the Nourishing Autism Collective to start getting nutrition support today!
Follow @AutismDietitian on Instagram
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TRANSCRIPT
Hi, I'm Brittyn, a Registered Dietitian and autism sibling. I have a passion for helping parents of neurodivergent kids navigate nutrition and wellness for their child, one small step at a time. Here we'll explore practical nutrition tips, learn from top autism experts, break down the newest research, and share inspirational stories that will empower you to utilize nutrition to help your child feel their best and thrive.
Listen in while picking kids up from school, sitting in a therapy waiting room, taking a quick walk or wherever you find yourself, looking for some inspiration and a friend to guide you along this journey. This is Nourishing Autism.
Brittyn: I'm so glad that you're here and I'm really excited to talk about today's episode and introduce you to something that is very near to my heart.
Today's episode is on an especially important topic that affects, I would guess, a good number of our listeners and that is the diaper gap
and if you've ever heard of the diaper gap or maybe you've heard of the diaper divide or the diaper need it's a major issue that affects many families' ability
to afford diapers, pull ups, and other toileting products and as you know, potty training often happens on a different timeline for autistic kids or individuals with [00:02:00] disabilities and in addition to that the price of diapers has drastically increased rose almost 9 percent during COVID, and nearly 20 percent since 2018.
Just poses a major affordability issue when it comes to affording these supplies. So some families are having to choose between affording diapers and affording groceries, or maybe forgoing certain helpful therapies
due to the need of these really important and necessary products. Now, not only that, according to the USDA, it costs about $240,000 to raise a child from birth to 18.
And we have quite a bit of information that suggests that raising a child on the autism spectrum can be as much as 10 times higher for some people, depending on age and medical issues, and if they're receiving out of network therapies like behavioral therapy, for example, that's not often covered, among other factors.
Now, I don't want to spoil this episode for you. I really want [00:03:00] to hop into this because it's such an important topic. And I had the chance to speak with Aleece Fosnight, who is a PA with many specialties. But today she chatted with us about urology and she's a medical consultant for Aeroflow Urology, who's a company that helps parents and those with special
needs three and up receive free high quality diapers, pull ups, and wipes
through your insurance benefits. They help you navigate insurance and complete all the paperwork for you and even provide product samples and access to a continence care
specialist who can assist in product sizing needs and other support. They supply medical grade products and ship the products on a monthly basis in discreet packaging to your front door,
including a range of absorbency levels from light to overnight protection for whatever your child needs. I absolutely love them and many many of my clients utilize them for additional diapering needs because it is so expensive. Now, let's dive into this episode and talk more about this issue as well as other concerns including nutrition when it [00:04:00] comes to toileting
that you need to be aware about when potty training autistic children and navigating this additional support. So let's dive in, welcome Aleece Fosnight to the Nourishing Autism Podcast.
Brittyn: Is your child experiencing delayed potty training? Are you having a difficult time affording your incontinence care? If so there's a solution at no cost to you. Our trusted partner Aeroflow Urology provides medical grade continence care essentials, like child pull-ups, adult briefs, bed pads, and more free through your insurance.
With Aeroflow, your favorite bladder control supplies are sent right to your doorstep with their discreet monthly deliveries. Customers have reported close to $200 a month in savings with Aeroflow Urology and over 2 million people have trusted Aeroflow to verify their insurance benefits. All you need to do is fill out their quick two minute form.
Visit aeroflowurology.com/nourishingautism. That's aeroflowurology.com/nourishingautism and [00:05:00] let them know I sent ya.
Hi, everybody. Welcome back to the Nourishing Autism Podcast. I have Aleece Fosnight here, and I'm so excited for our conversation today because it is different than a lot of the conversations that I typically have here, but I also think that it's going to be so important
for so many of you as we talk through what's called the diaper gap and incontinence and all of these really important pieces for kids on the autism spectrum, as well as just the general population.
So Aleece, thank you so much for being here with me. I'm excited to chat with you.
Aleece: Well Brittyn thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here and talk about something that is near and dear to my heart and a topic of conversation that we don't discuss a whole lot. So thank you again for having me.
Brittyn: Of course. I am just so excited. And if you wouldn't mind sharing who you are, what you do and who you help.
Aleece: Absolutely. So my name is Aleece Fosnight. I am a PA, a physician assistant. I've been a PA for 13 years. I have worked in urology for all of that [00:06:00] time. So I really love pelvic health and again, having kind of the conversations that seem embarrassing.
So around incontinence, urinary health, bowel health, all of those sorts of things. And so I've been like I said, a PA for 13 years in urology and recently opened up my own private practice in Asheville, North Carolina, the Fossnight Center for Sexual Health
to really highlight more of the need again of having those conversations and breaking out into specialty, but, urinary incontinence is still one of my main focuses.
Brittyn: That's amazing. And what you do is so important. And as it ties in to kids, I mean, a lot of times we have children on the autism spectrum with delayed potty training or, needing support with incontinence and incontinence products. And that is kind of an embarrassing conversation for some parents to have for maybe kids who are a little bit older than their other friends who have potty trained and having these conversations.
And so kind of like you said, these [00:07:00] are conversations that are completely normal, all problems that are very, very common, but yet that conversation piece just tends to be hidden. So I'm really excited to be able to have this kind of conversation with you and maybe help some parents feel less alone in this as well and normalize it.
Aleece: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. So that's one of the things that I talk to a lot of parents about. It's just normalizing normal body functions, right? Passing gas, having to go to the bathroom, urinating, and I think the biggest thing though that comes out of this is some of this kind of shame or
embarrassment that goes around with it is because we think a lot about our pelvic
health as also sexual health. So, right. It's this kind of black box of like, don't talk about it, especially for those that are female identified, right? It's like, you don't, you don't pass gas. You don't have a bowel movement. You don't pee in your pants. Like those are the types of things. And I also think that we have unrealistic expectations of when a [00:08:00] potty training should actually happen.
So I have a brother who has a two year old and I have kids. I have three female identified kiddos. And that was the whole thing, you know, when are they going to potty train? When they're going to potty train? And my brother's like, he's two, should we start potty training? I'm like, oh my goodness, let's like
slow this down. So I don't know where this is coming from in terms of rushing this, but we know that bladder control doesn't really happen until fully right around age six. And sometimes back, I know, right? And so sometimes that can even be a little bit delayed, even to 12, it just depends on how somebody's nervous system is functioning, how those connectors are, if there's blocks or something else that may be going on.
And it doesn't necessarily mean that something's wrong. That's the other thing too, that we think about, I do think it's good to talk to your health care provider to make sure that there isn't a delay with your kiddos, but that can be subjective too
in terms of what else is going on with our friends or what we're hearing or with the media.
Oh my goodness I have a love hate relationship [00:09:00] with the media because I think there's so many mixed messages that go along out there. So what I've done in the past with my kiddos, I think that's the biggest thing, is this worry of like is my kid normal?
And every kid is their own normal, right? That's what I always tell my parents is there's not one normal out there. This would be really boring world if that was the case, but we're all very unique. Again, normal in our own ways and nobody comes with a manual to say okay, this is when my kiddo is going to start potty training or when I should really start having a conversation.
But I think inviting those conversations early and often about how our body works, right? And this can be from okay, we drink water. How does water then get filtered through our bodies, through our kidneys? What is urine? You know, what happens when we do have a bowel movement? And again, normalizing that conversation, but the majority of folks,
don't have, didn't have that conversation with their parents, right? And so it's this generational shame and embarrassment that continues to perpetuate [00:10:00] through. So saying, okay, how do I have this conversation, which is again, why we're doing this podcast is to bring awareness and light into normalize the conversation.
Brittyn: Absolutely. I'm surprised to hear that six years old. And then you said, I mean, I have a 19 month old and so, you know, potty training's it's on the radar, but I know it's still a while away, but it's definitely one of those things you second guess as a parent, like, am I doing the right thing, is the timing right, you know, am I hitting it exactly how I should?
And so I think that it's really important to understand the biological function as well. And also the developmental readiness of the child. And then you're also talking about the nervous system. There's so many pieces that are at play here that I think it's so oversimplified to say, okay, two and a half is where you should potty train your kids.
And I was even looking, I was kind of curious at what the average potty training range is, which I kind of just hated Googling that [00:11:00] because I didn't feel like that was the right thing to be asking. And we know that, autistic children are more likely to have delayed potty training Google was like, three and a half is the average age.
And I was like, that doesn't even sound right to me at all. I'm like, I wish they didn't just give an age. It'd be such a range.
Aleece: I think a range, right. And it's an average and that's a very common thing that people do is they're going to turn to Google, right. Or Alexa and be like, Alexa, what is the average age of somebody potty training?
But at the average, which means that we have space on either side of that. And we do, I think we again, have to give space for a kiddo. I mean, my kids were three, I mean, pushing three. But I have some very stubborn girls, right? And they're like, oh, girls are easier to potty train, which we won't get into the genderization of all of that and whatever else, but it was, listen, I got some stubborn kiddos who just were, like, again, developmentally, they weren't ready yet.
That was the [00:12:00] biggest thing. And so you don't push it, right? The more you push, the more resistance, the less likely they are to create curiosity. I know sometimes it's nice to have privacy right in your bathroom. But, you know, I think for those individuals that identify as mom, right, we get to have kiddos in the bathroom with us a lot more frequently than those that identify as the father figure in that relationship.
But you use that to be like, oh I peed, and what does that mean? And I think having that dialogue and also turning it back and asking questions about that to your child too, and helping you understand then where their brain is coming from.
I mean, right. That's the fascination of how their brain works and that creativity. So I encourage parents a lot of times to go to your kiddo. If they're coming to you with a question, like they say, where does pee come from? Before you dig into this big, long, explanation of bladder and urethra and all this stuff.
So where do you think it comes from? So then you have an idea of what's actually going on in their brains. You can better answer that question for where they are developmentally.
Brittyn: I [00:13:00] also think having these kind of conversations also erases and takes out the embarrassment or shame around a very normal biological process, which like
you said, we treat as private, but it is something we talk about with our kids.
And if we have a lot of shame around going to the bathroom or it's something that we just don't say, then they are also by association going to have some shame around that as well. And so I think that's an important conversation to be able to have with kids very openly and a lot of times, especially the kids that I work with, they're very factual,
they want to know the facts behind it, they want to understand the process.
And so I think having those open and factual and biological conversations, of course, and developmentally appropriate words are very important.
Aleece: Yeah, absolutely. I think sometimes we can, as parents, verbal vomit, right? It's just too much information all at the same time.
And then our kids get confused, they get overwhelmed, especially folks on the autism spectrum. I mean, we have to be super [00:14:00] careful when we're potentially, like you said, having that conversation and you want to give them the facts, but you also don't want to give too much too quickly also.
Brittyn: Yep.
Yes, exactly. So maybe I'll be turning to you whenever we're definitely not to those conversations yet.
Aleece: And that's totally fine. I love to role play. And I think it's really important if you have a really supportive partner or spouse, you know, in your life role play with them, right? Have that dialogue.
It's also really important to know where your spouse or partner stands on that also so that you're having the same conversation and they're not getting mixed information from one parent to another.
Brittyn: That is great advice. I specialize, you know, in picky eating and helping families expand their child's diet and having both caregivers
on the same page is really important because when kids get confused, whether it's around food or going to the bathroom or sleep, like expectations around those, if we have people coming from
different angles, they never know what to expect and they get confused around what's happening. And we don't want confused kids for sure.[00:15:00]
Aleece: Yeah. And that goes along with anybody who's taking care of your kids. So my mom, grandma, right, is around my kiddos a lot. So it's really important for me to verbalize what our values are around having conversations around pelvic health, urination, bodily functions and things like that.
But even thinking about daycares or even school systems, I think it's really important to say this is the terminology that I want you to use with my kids.
Brittyn: Definitely. I love that. Well, one thing that goes along with all of this is, if we have delayed potty training or we need incontinence support is the need for diapers and other products.
Something that I've been really educating myself recently on is the diaper gap. And I know that this is something that you are also passionate about, and you know a lot about, and I would love you to share some more about what the diaper gap is and how that could be affecting families.
Aleece: Yeah, absolutely. So the diaper gap or the diaper divide or even the diaper need, so you may hear it from all three of those different angles. [00:16:00] It's something that was recognized kind of throughout our country of going, okay, people are really struggling with basic products that they're needing for
basic human functions, like incontinence, and realizing that people are choosing between buying diapers and buying groceries, gas, paying their rent, right?
They're having to make these critical decisions on what they're being able to provide for their families. And so what we found through Aeroflow, we sent out a survey last year and published those results is that one in two, so 50 percent of families are having to make this choice. And so it's not like, oh, whether I'm just going to buy this
diaper brand or that, no they're actually having to choose just if I can even afford diapers at all. And this goes beyond just infancy and what we think about for kiddos and toddlers and things like that. I mean, this is going beyond that as well even into people who are in their 40s, 50s, right, who may have other health issues or comorbidities that are contributing to [00:17:00] urinary incontinence and making
it worse, other folks who are differently abled, have disabilities, or other needs, right, that we're having to see this diaper divide and it's getting, bigger and bigger and bigger this gap.
And so it's really been so frustrating to go through that process because of this, again, lack of awareness, lack of understanding, lack of conversation, and thinking that people just have funds and the financial means to just get what they need. So what's happening is people are reusing products.
They're keeping them on too long. This is causing folks to socially isolate. And if you think about kiddos, right, they are social beings, right? That's how they develop with play. That's how they learn. And so we want them socially around other individuals. But what we're finding is a lot of families are not making play dates.
They're not having their kids involved in team activities. They're not going to a religious affiliation, or they're not going out. They're not [00:18:00] meeting families. So they're socially isolating, which we know increases rates of depression and anxiety and mental health concerns, not just among the parents, but these kiddos feel it too.
The other thing that's going on is recurrent urinary tract infections or skin breakdown or skin infections that are happening as well. And so that's causing a lot of pain with these kids, a lot of doctor visits, healthcare, other healthcare visits, which is going to be more money for them to do that.
And I think what a lot of people don't realize is that a lot of insurances have coverage for these incontinence products. I think a lot of the breakdown too, it's just the barriers,
are we not having the conversation? And if we are having the conversation, those that were having conversations with don't even know, they don't know where to go. And I think that's really important as a healthcare provider is for me to know as many resources. I'm only one person. I can only know so much, but what are my resources or at least the bigger resources that I can actually give to my patients.
And so that's one of the things that I really love about Aeroflow Urology is their [00:19:00] dedication to accessibility and affordable products when it comes to incontinence. So, on their website, which I highly encourage you all to go to, and for the listeners that are out there that are in need of incontinence products,
to be able to get access to a lot of these they have great resources on there. They're going to be able to connect you. And even if you get on there, or you're like, not tech savvy, like I am, then there's a phone number and their customer service and our reps are phenomenal. They're going to get you the information that you need.
They're going to help you fill out the form that you need to send to your insurance company. If you are underinsured or don't have any insurance, there's also programs that Aeroflow can connect you with too to get free products. I think that's really what's amazing with Aeroflow. It's just like I said, this dedication to access and affordability when it comes to these products.
That's again, it's a basic human need is what it all boils down to. And the fact that something like this is not accessible to everyone that needs it. [00:20:00] It's really frustrating.
Brittyn: Absolutely. And we have the link in the show notes below for all Nourishing Autism Podcast listeners. There's a unique link that they can visit as well.
Aleece: Great.
Brittyn: Yeah. So we have that in the show links that anyone can grab and it's super easy to apply. Yeah. Aeroflow. I have had personally a fantastic experience with them. I actually applied for my breast pump for my son. And it took maybe 30 seconds for me to fill out that form.
And I had a free breast pump that would have been, you know, who knows how much?
Aleece: 500 dollars. I know. Yeah. Again, a basic need, right? That's what you need to be able to nourish your kiddo.
Brittyn: . And I think one thing that's just so wild, as I was researching the diaper divide, diaper gap,
I was just learning how much the price of diapers has risen just over the past few years. It's gone up over 20 percent since 2018 and I couldn't believe that. And my son was born in 2022. So I've only ever known [00:21:00] diapers really at their current price. And when I'm buying them, I'm just like, goodness, the amount that we spend on diapers is wild.
Yeah, it's hard to believe. I mean, I know that Aeroflow can actually save people up to $200 a month on diapers, which is really amazing. And you know, if you have a child who has delayed potty trainers needing additional incontinence products,
the average price is around like 80 to 90 dollars a month. Every single year. The amount that you're spending on diapers that starts to getting into like the thousands. So it's absolutely incredible.
Aleece: Yeah, absolutely. Again, which is why bringing awareness to this diaper divide and need and gap is so important because again, people are having to
make a decision on what they're going to buy or how they're going to try to get by with this. And so yeah, if you have somebody who you know is going to need supplies for a lot longer than the average three and a half years of potty training, and [00:22:00] that doesn't even say
nighttime diapers or overnight diapers, whatever else, right?
We know that daytime continence can be a pretty well achieved, three and a half, four years . But again, it may take them to six, seven, eight before overnight they're able to actually fully have control over their bladders. And then, you know, we talk about bladders and things like that in the urinary incontinence piece of it, but
I can't help but also talk about bowel movements and constipation, because again, you're a dietitian. And we talk a lot about the foods and how it fuels the lack of fiber, right. That is in people's diets. And we know that constipation can contribute to urinary incontinence.
So I get to talk about all of the pelvic bodily functions that kiddos have just because I'm a urology PA doesn't mean I get to bypass the GI stuff because they really do overlap. And that can also be really uncomfortable conversation of how are you helping your kiddo have a bowel movement?
Are they straining? Are they having proper toileting? Do they have a stool, right? That they can put their little feet on [00:23:00] so that they're not having to dangle their feet. Are they belly breathing ? And I work with a lot of pelvic floor therapists working with pelvic health.
And unfortunately, we don't see a whole lot of pelvic floor therapists that work with kiddos, right? That are pediatric. And so, understanding too that piece of it and again, your body function. I'm always surprised, even the adults that I work with of like how we don't poop right. And so, or toilet, right.
Or even pee. I think a lot of people are going, I sit down and then I push so I can get all my urine out. I'm like, Oh my goodness, no, this is something your body just should have an automatic response to it by the time that you reach the toilet . And I think that a lot of tense goes to the fact that we just we don't have time to sit and pee.
We got to get going or we hold it too long. Again, like I said, as adults, toileting practices aren't as optimal as we would like for them to be. So thinking again, are they getting hydrated enough? I think that is the other thing too for a lot of folks who are working with kiddos
or have kiddos that are having incontinence issues that we're trying to limit them [00:24:00] for their hydration. And I'm like, no, no, no, that is the counterintuitive piece of it. Right? We want to be able to get them hydrated. We would want them to get lots of fluids and making sure that it's water. It's going to be the biggest thing.
And then, like I said, talking about fiber, but now you're talking about foods and the price of groceries that has gone up. So, I mean, it's like you're stuck right? I know I don't have to get diapers, but am I able to afford the foods that my kiddo needs? And I know we do a lot of fiber supplements, which is okay.
And things like that, but yeah. It sucks. It sucks of what you have to do and decide to do and what you're trying to do for your family. I knew for me, when we had our first kiddo, those were the things that we had to think about. It was like, what am I putting into their body now? And I'm responsible for this little human being.
And what are the things that I want to bestow onto them too, that they're going to take on. So yeah, it's hard. It's hard being a parent. Good Lord.
Brittyn: Definitely balancing all of those pieces. I never knew how much I was going to be thinking about my child going [00:25:00] to the bathroom until I became a parent.
You know, you hear people say that, but it's like, it's a constant thing that you're thinking all the time. Have they gone to the bathroom today? Have they gone enough? Have they drank enough? Have they eaten enough? And, and then, you know, think about your own needs as well. Which of course, you know, comes after, but, you know, there are a lot of very unique things that go along with yes, constipation, but also toileting for children and adults on the autism spectrum.
One being that, interoception, which, is being able to recognize what your organs are saying on the inside, we see that there's a huge disconnect between body and brain for a lot of autistic individuals. And so not recognizing I need to go to the bathroom right now, which could lead to accidents, which could lead to constipation.
And just like you were saying, I mean, constipation is also going to affect incontinence and hunger, I'm pulling on the dietitian side, because when we have those full and impacted bowels, that's going to not only press on your bladder, but can also press on your stomach. And so I see a lot of children who are [00:26:00] chronically constipated.
I mean, first of all, constipation is the number one most common GI symptom for kids on the autism spectrum. It's drastically more likely that they are going to be constipated. And that boils down to both sensory issues, going to the bathroom isn't an ideal sensory experience, but also having a limited diet, which is drastically impacted by
their sensory needs as well, which all the foods that are going to hit all of your sensory needs, or like the foods are going to cause sensory aversion are not going to be foods like fruits and vegetables and whole grains. No, we're going to stick to things that are more consistent and what you can expect from a sensory experience that are not going to have all the vitamins and minerals and fiber that you need to have a good bowel movement.
So it all connects between food and toileting, and it's just all one big system. And so I say that to say constipation is a huge medical issue that we have to make sure that we [00:27:00] address so that these kids can have success with toileting and potty training and the list goes on and on for sure.
And then helping them feel good so that they can eat more diverse foods. I mean, that's a really common hidden reason why kids start to have more limited diets, because they don't feel well and their stomach has that additional pressure on it from being impacted.
Aleece: Yeah, no, absolutely. And then they don't feel well.
So they become more sedentary because movement can even cause them discomfort in their bellies. And we know that lack of movement leads to again, constipation or urinary incontinence to you. And so, yeah, and gosh, even, hearing all of the things that we just talked about, like, God, this is exhausting, right?
To be constantly thinking about what your next step is, what your kiddos are doing, what you should do, to help support them, to make them successful, like, it, who's on your team too, right? Cause I want everybody to know that you don't have to do this alone, right?
Please advocate for yourself too and ask for help. I think that is also I think one of the struggles that for [00:28:00] again, those that identify as mom, there is this weird message of like, you have to do it all and be at all and know all these information. Well, when somebody gets that, please let me know.
Because last time I checked, my kiddo did not come with a manual. I keep talking about this whole manual thing, right? Or I didn't magically have this second set of brains that is helping me to understand what's going on with my kiddo. And so all of these mixed messages and for some reason, asking for help or guidance seems like a weakness and it's not.
I want everybody to know that's a strength, right? So advocating for your kiddo and going, you know what? I can't do this by myself. I can't do this alone. Even with your partner helping out and being there also to parent is just hard. So again, reaching out to those sources and if Aeroflow can help with taking one thing off of your plate and helping you to at least give you some supplies, hopefully we can get free supplies or save you a ton of money, you know, with that, that just takes one thing off of your plate that you have to worry about.
Brittyn: And I think having these conversations, normalizing [00:29:00] them, because a lot of times I think these conversations come up and it's the questions and conversations that everybody else has been wanting to have. And so, Taking the embarrassment out of some of this. It's just such a normal human thing to be talking about , especially with kids and helping, you know, destigmatize all of it.
So I really appreciate everything you said about that. And yes, Aeroflow is a fantastic resource. I mean, like I said, personally, but also for many, many of my clients has, you know, been a huge, huge game changer. Do you have any stories of any families who have been able to utilize this and how that's really affected their lives?
Aleece: Yep. Absolutely. So I, gosh, I can think of several families over the past, gosh, several years that I've been working with Aeroflow or knew about Aeroflow urology as a resource in that I remember that one sweet kiddo gosh this was many years ago coming in and they were coming for recurrent urinary tract infections.
And we boiled it down to [00:30:00] the fact that they were constipated, that they were having urinary incontinence leakage. But the kiddo was so embarrassed that they wouldn't like let mom or dad know what was going on, they didn't actually have any incontinence products because they didn't, this is also a kiddo that was very in tune with financial needs of their family, which I thought was really interesting.
I think that they were like six years old when I actually saw them. So very intuitive, like what's going on, kiddos get it. And so didn't tell their parents that they were having incontinence issues. So they would just wear their wet underwear, but they would change it. Right as soon as they got home so that like mom wouldn't know so we started really putting the pieces together and it took several appointments right to really dig in.
Kiddos don't want to tell you a whole bunch of stuff too until they get to know you, there can be like looking for mom and mom or your parent doesn't know like what's going on so when we figured it out I you know obviously normalized it with the kid on said what you're going through is, is super common.
I use the word common a lot instead of normal. Right. Just because again, kind of the, [00:31:00] the connotations that like normal has with it. But this is super common, what you're going through, you know, you're not alone. I have lots of other patients that are going through the same thing, lets try to find something that's going to benefit you and help you in knowing that's okay and making those changes.
And we knew that the diapers, the incontinence products were not going to be a long term necessary thing for them, but I would say it's a bridging therapy. It's just something that's a connector for us. It's like something we have to do right now to get through it. They're making some changes, working on the constipation, working on toileting.
They didn't want to go to the bathroom at school either. I think that's a lot of times what I hear from kids. They don't want to want to go and use the restroom outside of their home. And so really figuring out ways that we could help support them with toileting outside of the home. What did that look like of them?
Because a lot of times people don't want to sit on the toilet seat. There is nothing wrong with the toilet seat. With public toilet seats, I hear this all the time. And so many of my patients want to hover or pee over top of it. And I'm like, no, no, no. Sit down. Make yourself your own [00:32:00] little paper toilet seat cover, if you need to, or something that's going to be helpful to just get you through.
You just sit down, right? When you engage, you know, while you're hovering, those muscles can't relax enough to let that bladder empty. And that can just lead to a whole slew of things. Anyway, so there was that piece of it. So Aeroflow came in handy with those individuals because again, the thought was that this was gonna cost money, and that the family wasn't gonna be able to afford it.
And the kiddo felt that. That was, I think what hit me the hardest was with that kiddo. So once we realized that we could hook them up and through Aeroflow getting their insurance, they could cover it and get free product. And so we were able to really help that kiddo decrease their urinary tract infection, help focus on toileting, make those changes, but having some diapers in between times to really help us get to that point.
The other one was with a kiddo born with spina bifida. I was having some neurologic concerns and connectivity with their bladder. And I think that that was the other one too, where they were reusing products. They were reusing products. They were taking the wet diapers off.
They [00:33:00] were letting them dry out and then using them again. And I, oh my goodness, I might start crying right now because the family was just doing everything that they thought that they could to help on the financial side of things. And I do hear that a lot is this reusing of products where they let them dry out and then we use them again.
And that can cause a lot of, again, infections, skin breakdown, skin infections, and that was happening with this kiddo, more urinary tract infections, right? A lot of times that's how the kids get to see me from their pediatrician. It's a referral. And so again, once we figured this kind of piece out of it, I go, okay, here's this resource.
Let's get them and they're doing fantastic and great. And the kiddo is so much happier. We know what recurrent urinary tract infections can do to the mental health and again isolation and how that bladder is working. We don't want to cause more damage, right? We know that recurrent urinary tract infections can do that.
So being able to optimize and prevent those infections from happening just really elevated this kiddo's [00:34:00] mood and just, I mean, just a whole different kid, just a whole different kid and a whole different family, right? Everything wasn't completely centered around the fear, are they going to get an infection?
Are we not going to be able to get diapers for them? The food issue, the food issue probably is the biggest thing of having to decide between food and diapers is another one. So Aeroflow definitely came in to rescue for that as well. So for my kiddos, those are the two big things. And then I have tons of stories of adults.
I have a lot of adults too that have urinary retention. And so we don't necessarily think about diapers for those individuals, but catheters. The intermittent catheters that folks can use too they were having to reuse those also and that just can again leads to more urinary tract infections and pain and irritation to that lower urinary tract system.
So, yeah, it's so amazing. Like I said, what Aeroflow Urology does. I know I'm biased because I work with the company but for real, it is something that I wish everybody knew about
Brittyn: absolutely. And as you were talking more about, you know, the [00:35:00] increased costs that that family had for the child with spina bifida, with autism too, we see that there's typically an additional 15 to a hundred thousand dollars in additional services.
Aleece: Yeah.
Brittyn: So raising a child A, is expensive, but then raising a child with additional needs is another level. And so it just becomes, okay, are we trying to afford therapy or are we trying to afford food? Diapers? Like the amount that you need to balance it all and live comfortably is really difficult. So I appreciated you bringing that up because a lot of families that will be listening to this podcast are like, yes, I'm spending so much money out of pocket for therapies that my child really needs.
And then there are additional products or food or groceries or whatever it might be that we're having to skimp on because my child needs this kind of therapy.
Aleece: Yeah, and you talked about therapy services with occupational therapy, physical therapy, right, those sorts of things are going to be so key for [00:36:00] folks with different needs.
And now you are really stuck with choosing. It's the having to choose and are you making the best decisions for your family and these are choices that you shouldn't have to choose between. So, and that's, I think, again, like I said, what's so frustrating to this and so anything that we can do to make, like I said, at least one thing off of your plate and help allocate
funds to going to other things that your kiddo needs and that you need as a family is again, what Aeroflow's mission is all about.
Brittyn: Well, I really appreciate you having this conversation with me because again, it takes out that embarrassment and starts normalizing this kind of conversation.
And so I hope this was helpful to parents and individuals out there who are looking for this kind of support, but also just looking to hear this conversation, and don't quite know where to have it or who to talk to about it. So would you mind sharing your information, where to find you, and then also dropping the information about Aeroflow again?
Aleece: Yeah, absolutely. So you can find me [00:37:00] Fosnight Center for Sexual Health in Asheville, North Carolina. Fosnightcenter. com is our website. You can find me on Instagram @sexmedpa. But then definitely reaching out to Aeroflow. You can find me there as well. So aeroflowurology. com Fabulous resources on there. And again, if there's something that you can't find, or it feels overwhelming to you call, please reach out even email. It's a great way to get in touch with us.
Brittyn: Amazing. And the link for Aeroflow is going to be in the show notes. If anyone wants to find that and I'll drop the link as well in social media. So everyone can access that link easily, but thank you so much, Aleece for having this conversation with me and for being here and for everything that you do.
I just really appreciate you.
Aleece: Oh, absolutely.
Thank you so much for having me again. [00:38:00]
Transcribed by Descript
About Brittyn Coleman, MS, RDN/LD
Brittyn Coleman, MS, RDN/LD, is a distinguished Registered Dietitian and Autism Nutrition Expert, known for her innovative, sensory-friendly feeding approach to nutrition for children on the autism spectrum. As the founder of the Nourishing Autism Collective, and as an autism sibling herself, Brittyn brings both professional expertise and personal understanding to her work. She empowers families with her expert guidance, helping children receive essential nutrients for optimal health and development. Her strategies are tailored to the unique dietary needs and sensory preferences of each child.
Brittyn's influence extends beyond her membership site through her active social media presence and her popular podcast, 'Nourishing Autism'. Her educational content on Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms has established her as a leading voice in autism nutrition, providing valuable resources, practical advice, and a supportive community for parents and professionals.
