DS lining things up

[ThorsMistress]

Hi all

Posting here for traffic

DS is 2 (born September) and likes to line things up. Cars, pens, juice bottles etc. Basically anything he can. He doesn’t say a lot in regards to speaking, only a few words, although he does babble all the time. He’s currently under speech therapy and has a hearing test booked in for March.

He’s currently at play school and I have just received a call from them as he is finding it hard to settle, so she calls me to let me know how he’s is. The play school manager said he’s absolutely fine and very little tears, and he’s currently sat lining pens up. She went on to say that I mentioned he does this a lot, and have I spoken to his HV about this?

To be honest I haven’t! But now I’m thinking I should? She quite often asks me questions about his behaviour and all the questions she asks are questions around his being on the spectrum.

I will love him regardless but I’m now thinking I should be seeking help for him? Thank you if you made it this far!

IMO they've done the right thing to mention it to you. My Ds's late diagnosis meant so many issues had already caused him to feel pretty shit about himself in primary school. Earlier diagnosis could have meant more support and more importantly more understanding. He also lined things up enough for me and my mum to wonder about it. Better to have a professional mention their concerns rather than a trusted, seasoned, experienced and highly respected one saying a flat and emphatic "No" when you first raise the concern at the age of 5 by blurting out in desperation "do you think he could possibly have special needs?" once his troubles were becoming more of an issue at school and at home.

All of mine have done this, none have autism diagnoses.

can they tell after fifteen hours?

possibly. I could spot a few autistic kids as a parent sat at the back of school assemblies. (later confirmed) this is in no way 100% accurate, but just saying that it is possible that it is suspected from just 15 hours contact.

Are playschool workers qualified?
Then they should know about schemas.

As someone whose child is in the ASD spectrum with ADHD too I can tell you it’s pointless so don’t waste your energy worrying about speaking to anyone until he goes to school, if and when he has problems then start the process. My son is 5 in June and they won’t even see him until he’s 5 despite a Health Visitor being the one to mention it to me and do an ASQ assessment in him herself and star5 the ball rolling at age 3. I’ve had a phone consultation with a consultant that’s it now for another 5 months.

*ON the not in the!

@ThorsMistress I could have written your post except my DS is a November baby.

I did call the HV before Christmas based mainly on speech and they bought his 2 year check right forward to do a quick assessment. I flagged initially because DD had problems with language due to glue ear.

He has had video SLT assessment, they think there's little wrong, but the isolation of lockdown has definitely not helped. Audiology referral is still not through, but development wise they said, as PP have, the lining up is a very normal developmental phase, and the rest of his behaviour is normal (I hate that word, I just mean not a flag) - eye contact, play, movement. No tippy toes or side glances, lots of physical contact and expression even if he's quiet.

They are seeing him again next month but have advised lots of child led play and not to worry at this stage. Fwiw, my DM reminded me of my cousin, who spoke not a word until he was 4, and obsessively rocked himself violently to sleep every night for years. At 4 he suddenly went from non verbal to the exact opposite, is an intelligent, extremely social adult with a successful life.

I'd keep a close eye and communicate with nursery but they are so little yet to be panicking.

It's totally normal at that age

My ds (13) has autism and severe learning difficulties - he lined everything up........but so did my neurotypical dd. The lining things up isn't really a red flag but it can be part of a bigger picture..........

The speech delay and lining things up might warrant further investigation ..........SALT will be looking for autistic traits

My son makes good eye contact.

One of my DC used to do this. He preferred lining objects up rather than talking. He’s now studying a science subject at Oxford and is very sociable. I think lining things up was an early sign of interest in method, order and how things work.

We had years of lining cars up when the two DSs were that age. if I dared to touch one of the cars or put it backwards or something-huge tantrum!

They eventually stopped and nothing came of it.

I think lining up cars is different to lining things like pens up because cars do line up in RL.

It's not necessarily a sign of anything, but it may be part of a bigger picture, which is why it's a good idea to mention it to the HV.

Thank you all for your messages!

I think a call to the HV is a good idea. His play school manager is going to call her anyway and I will mention to something when he has his hearing test in March.

I feel like his play school manger wants there to be something wrong with him! She’s always bombarding me with questions about him. It’s making me feel like I want to move him!

Nursery staff see loads and loads of children, and they can see quickly when a child is different in some way. These differences may or may not be important, but I would not dismiss their input lightly.

Lining things up is normal in itself, although if a child is unduly focused on it, becomes agitated if the line is moved, chooses it above all other activities etc, it may be significant.

Mention it to the HV, and mention it to the Speech Therapist too (and watch their response carefully). It may be that your DS is just having trouble settling at nursery and his speech delay isn't helping. No harm flagging it up though.

I have two with autism, ds was in intense liner upper and dd never bothered lining anything up although she did like matching pairs. I think all children go through spells of lining up toys tbh. I remember my NT ds lining up ars and calling them motorways and car parks. Dgs 20 months came yesterday whilst dd worked and he had lined up his trains. I have no concerns about dgs development and neither does dd. For me I'd try moving some thing out of line as it wasn't so much the lining up that was a problem it was the huge meltdown invoked if anyone dared to move something that pointed to concerns for ds.

OP yes I could tell you after 15 hours that a child wasn't developing in line with their peers. It's not sufficient time to definitively label ASD but it's enough time for an experienced person to ask the question. I not sure if a nursery teacher can but I will say my sons creche manager saw it in the first few weeks he was with them. So I'd listen and investigate further if I was you.

I think lining up cars is different to lining things like pens up because cars do line up in RL.

In my experience lining up of all sorts of things can be normal toddler behaviour. Mine certainly used to line up pens.

As others have said lining up things can, in conjunction with other things be looked at as a wider pattern of behaviour and development - but in isolation lots of lining up behaviours can be perfectly normal.