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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:

idlemum · 07/03/2007 20:06

Never heard of that one before but if it is of any use to you - my dd didn't crawl until she was 12 months and didn't walk until she was 18 months but she started to read at 3yrs. All children vary as I'm sure everyone tells you.

fizzbuzz · 07/03/2007 20:40

Well my ds crawled fit to win Olympics, and he is dyslexic,but not dyspraxic...

chipmonkey · 07/03/2007 21:49

Really, the bottom line is that if you take 1000 children and check whether they crawled or not, you will find a higher percentage of learning problems amongs the non-crawlers. BUT as other posters are testifying, most non-crawlers have normal development ( whatever that is!)

PeachyClair · 07/03/2007 21:53

Yes its the cross crawl thing, which envcourages the brain to cross the midline and increases control. That can impact early on in things like walking (if a child crosses the stiars always same foot first its the same thing), but can be rectified. My son has excercises like marchng and touching the right hand to left knee then swapping over to cross this midline as he ahs issues with this, it even works if you lie them on their back and do it for them as babies, its just about neural pathways. So yu can compensate quite easily.

FWIW I was told by my Psych lecturer that the worst thing was bum shufflers- and my friends very able child did that. And lots of Physio's hate W Sitters- yet my DH does it.

WriggleJiggle · 07/03/2007 22:03

Sorry haven't read whole thread - I may repeat someone.

At our school the SN teacher ALWAYS asks parents about their childrens crawling. It doesn't necessarily follow that if they don't crawl they will have dyslexia / dyspraxia, but it seems that many ch who have dys didn't crawl. I'm like you, I was desperate for dd to crawl just because of this reason. Everyone I mentioned it to thought I was stupid, apart from the SN group. Crawling is hereditory I think i.e. dh disn't crawl, so dd may not have.

dd didn't crawl until nearly 9 months and now theres no stopping her. She also HATED tummy time and was able to stand for months before hand.

Don't worry about it, keep making tummy time fun, pull silly faces at her and so on when you put her down, and she probably will when she is ready to.

If you are really worried play lots of games where she 'crosses the midline i.e. her middle' with her hands and feet - if you can imagine the crawling action when lying on your back. Touch hands to opposite feet, hands to opposite knees / ears etc.

Hope this makes sense. Don't worry just yet, she is still very young to be crawling.

chipmonkey · 07/03/2007 22:03

Ds2 is dyspraxic and one of his exercises is to crawl up and down the hallway, both cross-crawling and rights-together-lefts-together. Can't help thinking to myself while watching him.
"But you did this exercise. 8 years ago!!"

lisad123 · 07/03/2007 22:05

My DD never crawled but bum shuffled everywhere. Im dyslexic and my hubby is displaxic {sp?LOL} so hoping DD is ok in furture, but hey could be worse things in life. I got by ok, and hubby is an IT anaylist
I wouldnt worry too much and just enjoy time with your baby.
Lisa

coppertop · 07/03/2007 22:18

Ds1 has all the signs of dyspraxia, which seems to overlap with his autism. At 6yrs old he is almost constantly bumping into people and objects. He started with a commando crawl at around 4mths and was crawling everywhere at top speed at 7mths.

nanninurse · 07/03/2007 22:27

This is interesting, my dd did not crawl, she walked early & is dyslexic.

hollyandalice · 08/03/2007 08:25

A friend of mine, who is a teacher, said that crawling is linked to upper body co-ordination and strength and often children who didn't crawl have less hand co-ordination and often poor handwriting. Her headmistress is quite new age and children who have poor handwriting do crawling exercises to help strengthen their upper bodies! (I never crawled and my handwriting is awful, so maybe it's true!) I have never heard it being linked to dyslexia though. My dd is 21 months and didn't crawl, yet she knows all her numbers, letters, shapes and colours, so I doubt she is dyslexic.

Pitchounette · 08/03/2007 09:08

Message withdrawn

PeachyClair · 08/03/2007 09:58

this is what its all about.

At his last school, DS1 had a newly qualified teacher and he had studied brain gym- his class did a session every morning (always drinking a glass of water first- apparently that's important?) and it is slowly gettting into the mainstream. There's another school back home does it, a very good school actually. Knowing a little about brain physiology it does make good sense to me.

Cadmum · 08/03/2007 10:10

More anecdotal info from our household:

I did not crawl but am neither dyslexic nor dyspraxic.
DS1 crawled from 7 months and is dyslexic.
DD1 did not crawl and is also dyslexic.
I think that if there is a link between not crawling and dyslexia it may in fact be that dyslexic babies are less likely to crawl rather than non-crawlers grow up to be dyslexic. (That sounds about as clear as mud!) What I am trying to say is that I agree that it is too early to worry about your dd at 7 1/2 months. Just enjoy her. Babies grow up far too quickly.

There is an amazing book entitle the Gift of Dyslexia and I highly recommend it to any parent that worries about their child being dyslexic.

divorcee · 08/03/2007 11:00

Firstly, you can't develop dyslexia or dyspraxia, you are born with them. |Not crawling will not make a child have either but a child already born as dyspraxic/dyslexic may not crawl as it's hard to master

Crawling is an important part of physical development. It strengthens and develops the shoulder and hip girdles (muscles) I can be hard to develop these muscles later if a child has other difficulties like dyspraxia. You need these muscles for strengh, good balance and for writing.

Crawling also helps the brain to learn about crossing the midline (using hands on the other side of the body) and this helps with spacial awareness

If a child doesn't crawl, it will learn to
compensate in other ways. A child with dyspaxia/dyslexia will find it harder to compensate due all the other issues.

hope that makes sense

Original poster

Tallysmum · 08/03/2007 21:37

All these examples of those with / without dyslexia and crawling are great. It really shows that its all random and my worries are unfounded. It also shows how some passing remarks made by a physio can cause complete confusion amongst new mothers! I appreciate everyone's input and will make every effort to let DD develop in her own way with my encouragement along the way. Cheers.

OP posts:

chipmonkey · 09/03/2007 23:13

I know a lot of paediatric ophthalmologists and have never heard any of them claim that they can tell if a child has crawled or not! I must ask some of them! There are very strong links though, between the visual system and all the other neural systems so that may be true of some of the more observant ones.

mummyloveslucy · 17/12/2007 18:50

My daughter didn't crawl at all and neither did I as a baby. I am dyslecsic and after hearing this I am a bit worried about my daughter. She has delayed speech but I don't think that is linked with dyslecsia. Where did you hear this?

newgirl · 17/12/2007 19:14

my dd (now 5) never crawled

she is fab at reading and writing and is very good at tennis - does that help?!

smeeinachristmastreeinnit · 17/12/2007 19:22

dd2 now 15 was crawling at 4 months and is severely dyslexic!
i reallyw ouldnt worry, dyslexia and dyspraxia are not by any means the end of the world,there are many many worse things a child could have.

smeeinachristmastreeinnit · 17/12/2007 19:23

err that'l be DS2 as i dont have any dds!

WriggleJiggle · 17/12/2007 22:04

I understand where you're coming from with this. After sitting in on many SN interviews it is always something that the parents are asked. For me I didn't care what age dd crawled, just so long as she did.

babybase · 04/01/2012 15:08

I cant stress enough how important tummy time is. In regards to crawling well, some babies don't crawl, and will not end up dyslexic.
Tummy time however is one of the most important developmental stages, especially in the early stages from 1-4 months where the narrow window of opportunity arises for developing motor skills that are required for raising head, resting head, resting on elbows and straitening arms, weight bearing on the palms, rolling and eventually crawling.
Combat crawling has more benefits that crawling on all fours as it develops the Corpus Collosum and the right and left hemispheres of the brain which is responsible for reading & writing.
Weight bearing on palms of hands is important to develop the fine motor skills which start by having enough strength in shoulders down to tasks such as buttoning, pencil grasp, zippers etc.
There are many fun ways to encourage tummy time without the need of fancy toys and 7 months is not and age for concern in regards to not crawling it can be taught!!
It's vital that babies don't spend excessive time in car seats.
A big NO NO to baby walkers, bouncy seats, and never put a child in a sitting position before he can get to it from the side or from all fours.
If you want info on exercises to encourage crawling I would be happy to write you a plan You can find me on FB under BabyBase

Karoleann · 04/01/2012 21:44

I didn't crawl (apparently) and I could read before I went to school.
My eldest two crawled at 10.5/11 months and walked at 12 months neither so far has shown any dylslexic tendancies.
DC3 is 8 months and has shown no desire to crawl yet (and I have no desire for her to crawl)

Karoleann · 04/01/2012 21:51

babybase neither of my two eldest children had tummy time - its just a fad.
They both were put in a sitting position, both had walkers and bouncy seats and both are completely normal.
My 5 year old is well above the national curriculum level for his age for reading, writing and maths, he can swim 50m unaided.

If they don't like tummy time, don't do it.

Ophuchi · 05/01/2012 08:45

Don't worry about crawling at 7 months. I haven't heard about the dyslexia link. Anecdotally DD was a late crawler at 14 months. My neighbour (who has a child the same age) suggested she might just be slow.

Well, she was a bit slow at crawling but now at 22 months can read as well as an average 8 year old (according to ex-primary teacher family friend). They all develop differently. DC 2 is on the way and I won't be worrying about dyslexia if he/she isn't interested in crawling.

Shame I can't say to neighbour that 'slow' DD is reading without coming across like a boasty twat! I had so many negative comments about DD not crawling/not walking when her 'genius' child had been doing it for months that it would be satisfying! :)

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