The stage of Autonomy versus shame/doubt. This is a stage that, according to Erick Erickson's theory, children between 18 months and 3 years face. In this stage the child faces the control of the elimination of their waste or sphincters, this process is not easy to learn and therefore it is related to the shame or guilt, but if it faces it in a satisfactory way and the child learns to control it will acquire greater autonomy.