Hi -
Here's what may be going on:

At some point, perhaps when your son started school, perhaps at another
tim,e he started witholding his bowel movements. After a while, this
caused his body signals to get confused, to the point that now he
doesn't actually know when he needs to move his bowels. The result is
that his colon gets VERY full (which is why you see such large poops)
and he has accidents.

The standard treatment for this problem (which is not that uncommon) is
to dose with mineral oil 2x/day (am and pm) and also to have him sit on
the toilet 2x/day, for as long as 20-30 minutes, to try to produce a
bowel movement. The goal is to have him produce a bowel movment EVERY
day for 30 days in a row. By the end of that time, he should have
regained his body signals so that he can control his bowel movements.

You may also wish to discuss more serious problems with your doctor,
such as "occult spina bifida", where the boy wouldn't feel the signals
at all because of a slightly exposed spinal cord, and various other such
possibilities. None are likely; the scenario I've explained is far and
away the most common cause of the problem you're experiencing.

You should also make sure your son has a very high fiber diet, since
constipation would get in the way of producing consistent bowel
movements. Also he should drink plenty of water.

Beyond that, offer rewards for bowel movements that occur daily, and
bigger rewards when they occur in the toilet. and offer a treat after
the mineral oil; it's nasty stuff.

I hope this helps,
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.