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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Babies not crawling linked to dyslexia????

59 replies

Tallysmum · 07/03/2007 15:17

DD is 7 1/2 months old and showing no interest in crawling. She is keen to stand at all opportunites and we think she may go straight to walking. I've heard there could be some physical development impacts for babies who don't crawl - including potential dyslexia. Can anyone shed any light on this? Should I be doing everything I can to encourage more tummy time? She really doesn't like it....

OP posts:

ScottishThistle · 07/03/2007 15:18

I've never heard of this & have had a couple of babies who chose not to crawl...none of them have turned out to be dyslexic!

Jimjams2 · 07/03/2007 15:21

More of a link to dyspraxia- but think it's the other way round- ie dyspraxic babies don't crawl (because it's hard for them), rather than not crawling makes you dyspraxic. 7 months is still very young!

smellymelly · 07/03/2007 15:22

Yes I have heard of this, it is a problem if they do not do the act of crawling, which crosses the arms and legs alternately or something like that. It is linked to other learning difficulties I think as well. But ds1 didn't crawl till he was 10 months so I do not think you need worry about it yet. I think marching exercises when they are a little older can help. My info is 2nd hand though so I hope I have got it right.

Also as sthistle says her kids are fine!!

zippitippitoes · 07/03/2007 15:23

I think she is still quite young

I wouldn't worry about either the crawling or not or dyslexia/dyspraxia at this stage

smellymelly · 07/03/2007 15:24

Maybe I should have said, 'could be a problem'

expatinscotland · 07/03/2007 15:24

I never crawled.

I'm not dyslexic or dyspraxic.

DD1 was a mad crawler.

She's dyspraxic.

castlesintheair · 07/03/2007 15:25

My DS didn't crawl and he is now 5 and doesn't have dyslexia or dyspraxia, though he does have a slight speech delay which I doubt is not connected to not crawling. Like JimJams says 7 months is still very young. I'm sure DD1 didn't crawl until she was 8 months and I thought that was very early! She liked to stand a long time before she started crawling.

ScottishThistle · 07/03/2007 15:25

Jimjams, you're right dyspraxia can cause a child to have coordination problems!

Also, many babies don't crawl until they're about 9/10mths.

zippitippitoes · 07/03/2007 15:30

ha it syas on this page dyslexia and crawling at the bottom

it has been said 70% of people with dyslexia didn't go through the crawling stage

unfortunately it doesn't say who said it

Original poster

Tallysmum · 07/03/2007 15:31

It sounds like many of you have heard of this, but perhaps crawling is a symptom rather than a cause of dyslexia / dyspraxia. It was a from a physiotherapist that I got this info (via my mum) and apparently there has been much written about it. I can't find much doing a basic web search. I'm less worried about how old she will be when she crawls, more IF she crawls.

OP posts:

ScottishThistle · 07/03/2007 15:33

Tallysmum, try not to worry about something you have no control over.

zippitippitoes · 07/03/2007 15:34

I hadn't heard of it until you brought it up

it doesn't seem like somehting you have in your ocntrol

Original poster

Tallysmum · 07/03/2007 15:36

Thanks - its just one of many things that a new mum ends up worrying about! You can't force a baby to crawl, but I will try a little more tummy time just in case it encourages her.

OP posts:

castlesintheair · 07/03/2007 15:36

That's really interesting zippitippitoes. I didn't realise dyslexia affects (spoken) language comprehension, I thought it was just reading, which my son has no problem with. We are still trying to pinpoint his problem exactly so that is something I will suggest. Thanks!

expatinscotland · 07/03/2007 15:37

'perhaps crawling is a symptom rather than a cause of dyslexia / dyspraxia. '

I think it's fair to say that crawling is NOT a cause of dyslexia/dyspraxia.

Original poster

Tallysmum · 07/03/2007 15:39

I meant 'not crawling' but agree that it can't be a direct cause. It does sound like there is some link though, but I'm surprised its not more commonly known

OP posts:

tortoiseSHELL · 07/03/2007 15:39

Just seen this, ds2 doesn't crawl, he's 10 months now - you've got me worried! He just rolls everywhere, and up to now had assumed he just couldn't be bothered to crawl.

expatinscotland · 07/03/2007 15:41

These are both brain disorders. In many cases, the cause is 'idiopathic', in other words, no one really knows.

Original poster

Tallysmum · 07/03/2007 15:41

Please don't worry - I didn't mean to get anyone else concerned. I'm sure it would be well document if there was anything to worry about.

OP posts:

chipmonkey · 07/03/2007 15:50

There is a link between dyslexia/dyspraxia and not having crawled but not so strong that you can say a child who didn't crawl will have dyslexia/dyspraxia. Definitely not worth obsessing over at this stage!

Jimjams2 · 07/03/2007 16:25

When ds1 was having OT- the OT watched ds2's attempts to move around the room by crawling/rolling and said "err is he always like that". He's 5 now and cack handed but not dyspraxic.

Jimjams2 · 07/03/2007 16:26

ds1 btw who has a lot of quite severe motor planning problems has always "passed" all the dyspraxia tests (like pedalling, walking down stairs, jumping etc).

filthymindedvixen · 07/03/2007 16:38

eh? Heard about connections to dyspraxia but not dyslexia. My ds crawled at 6 months and was walking at 10 months....he's as dyslexic as a bag full of very dyslexic people tying to tell each other how to spell dyslexia in Welsh...go figure!

expatinscotland · 07/03/2007 16:41

Oh, yes, hopping, alternating feet on stairs, pedalling a trike or bike.

DD1 no can do.

She did crawl, however, at 11 months.

I'd be more concerned if the child were a bit older and had other motor skill issues and/or speech delays.

But at 7 months, not really.

DD1 could not sit unaided at 8 months.

zippitippitoes · 07/03/2007 16:48

my advice is to not worry about crawling and try not to look things up as you will always find something to get anxious about when most of the time there isn't a cause for concern

a lot of this kind of research is interesting for researchers but not really any use to parents

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