Bum shuffler to genius?!

[Alibobster]

I've just read an article in a baby magazine which says if a baby shuffles on their bum rather than crawl this may indicate that they will have problems with reading writing and sequencing. This has worried me as ds never crawled, just shuffled although he was walking at 11 months What do you think?

Don't worry. The most common cause of kids having problems with reading or writing is poor teaching.

I bum shuffled - I've got a degree from Cambridge! DD 9 months seems to be a bum shuffler too, heard its hereditary.

my son never crawled, walked at 10 months but has problems with writing, nothing wrong with the teaching. He has a lot of one to one help with spelling but he has problems with it, also learning to read was a struggle but his comprehension is very good, but he needs a ruler to keep track of the words. He has dyslexic traits which he probably inherited from DH.
He is a very bright intelligent boy and did really well in his year 6 sats except his written test, just narrowly scraped a 4c whereas his reading he got 5b and science a 5a.
From what I have read crawling encourages the use of the left and right brain, so children who don't crawl miss out on this
had DS swimming from 1 and piano lessons both of which encourage the use of left and right, so they probably helped him a lots.

I was a bum shuffler too. I also have a degree - I think what you've read about is dyspraxia. Children with dyspraxia commonly share some early signs - bum shuffling being one. However, not all kids with dyspraxia bum shuffled and not all bum shufflers are dyspraxic.

I bum shuffled.

English was my strongest subject all the way through school.

I have been found to have an above average IQ, which you would never know from my posts, but Dr. Utterfake the eminent psychologist told me so for a paltry £500.

My DD who is now 5, bum shuffled until she was 18 months. She is a very bright little girl who is reading and writing very well for a child her age.

I was another bum shuffler and I too have a degree (or 2 actually!). I did have problems with spelling etc but it was put down to disrupted schooling in my early years rather than any "condition", I had extra help for a year and caught up.

When I was teaching I often heard it said that parents would say, "How can he be dyslexic/dyspraxic ... he was such a clever baby, he never crawled, just pulled himself up and walked at 9 months .... "
On of our SENCOs had a 'theory' about it.

I have a different take on it.

My DD was a bumshuffler (bumshuffled at 11 months and walked at 15 months). I was a bit concerned, but not overly ...
I worked out with DD that she bumshuffled because she worked out how to move that way before she worked out how to crawl. By the time she could crawl (and she learned how to crawl about 2 weeks later) she preferred bumshuffling as it was more efficient - she had her hands free so could move around carrying things ...

It is a coordination thing ... I would be worried if DD couldn't crawl, rather than didn't crawl IYSWIM?

DD is only 3 and a half now ... so too early to tell re. dyslexia but she has no physical coordination problems - in fact is more co ordinated than DS at the same age and he crawled. She is really good at drawing and holds a pencil beautifully ... so ... who knows, but I would be surprised if she did struggle at school when she starts.

christywhisty, you are right in reference to the crawling utilising both sides of the brain. However, i think it would be better to describe it that children with problems in this area (dyspraxia) do struggle with this, rather than say the lack of crawling causes the weakness.

Alibobster - dont worry about your bum shuffler, my HV has suggested to me that my dd may go on to be dyslexic and i spent ages fretting over it. What i can tell you is this, my DP bum shuffled, he walked late and had difficulty reading (shite schooling if you ask me and i do think he is slightly dyslexic), i bum shuffled too, i walked at 8 months, have no trouble reading and have a PhD.

Bum shuffling is apparently more common in dyslexics but and this is a big BUT (pardon the pun) most bum shufflers definately are NOT dyslexic.

My little girl walked late, is a late talker but so obviously highly intelligent. She tackles tasks that simply amaze me, she is only two and complete fairly complicated jigsaws etc.

I've heard this one before (but not of any significant research projects so tend not to peddle it- what research does article mention?)

Presumably this is all the sort of thing where people talk about crossing the meridian etc, and related to the bi-hemispheric body movements utilised in walking / stepping etc? If so, then even if this was the case for your child, brain gym and that sort of program is very effective. Simple exercises- marching with alternate legs hands (righ habd touching left knee etc) mimic the braina ctivity that shuffling supposedly sidesteps

Wouldn't worry, tbh, and if it becomes an issue dancing classes or brain gym.

There is an interesting article here

here

DS is not dyspraxic, his problems are more dyslexic related, ie he has problems reading music, no sense of time at 11 he still has problems with what day of the week it is etc, following words on a page, spelling etc

Good grief I'm amazed, I'd love to read the research these dimaonds came from! I bum shuffled until I was 18 months, I've got a degree and about to start a PhD. None of my DSs bum shuffled by DD did but was walking at 11 months.

My daughter was a bum shuffler and does indeed have poblems with readng and writing and sequencing.

Crawling builds up shoulder and hip girdle muscles. These muscles are very difficult to build up later/by a different method

Not having good strong shoulder girdle muscles CAN interfere with handwriting but not always

And as someone mention before, the very complicated midline moving can also be muted and cause problems with spacial awareness, balance and sequencing. Not in all cases though

Maybe that is where this research comes from

DS (now 4.5) crawled at 6 months BUT has been picked up as having several co-ordination probs. Will have to wait until he is in school to see if this extends to a difficulty with spelling and numbers etc. But he didn't bum shuffle.

The implications seems to be here, that we must MAKE our babies crawl - oh, what would i like to do with baby books, development charts and superfeckingnannies.

Enjoy your bum shufflers, they may or may not go on to have reading problems, just the same as the crawlers. Its not a competition.

Interesting. my little brother was diagnosed with dyslexia in the early 80's and i remember them asking if he bum shuffled. Thought that was a rather old fashioned theory.

I bum shuffled and walked on my knees. Believe me, I never had problems with reading, writing or sequencing.

DD2 is also a bum shuffler.

There is a connection between dyspraxia and other similar disorders and lack of crawling, and it does seem that bilateral movements do help programme the brain. However, from the experience I've had with my children, I would say that not crawling can be a symptom of future dyspraxia, not a cause of it. ie my ds didn't crawl because he was dyspraxic from birth. It wasn't the lack of crawling that made him dyspraxic.

lucyellens mum, it's not a supernanny, baby book etc theory regarding buliding muscles, its a physical medical fact it can cause problems (can being the important word there)

Very true, aloha.

DD1 crawled with no problems at all. Then she walked on her knees until she was nearly 2 years old.

She's dyspraxic along with other delays.

DD2 never crawled. She bum shuffled and then walked.

But she's not had the delays DD1 has had - has a good many, clear words at 20 months, lots of pointing, etc.

If anecdotal evidence helps, I bum shuffled, have a degree from Oxford and a pretty high paying job. Must say though as a child I was totally uncoordinated (then again so is ds and he crawled). Wouldn't worry.

Thanks ladies - I suppose there's no point fretting about it, I'll just need to wait and see. The only thing that does worry me a wee bit is although ds(13 months) is brilliant at walking, and now starting to run, if he falls over, he can't pull himself up. I don't know if he's just lazy or because he's quite a big boy and finds it awkward. He can pull himself up from sitting position to standing if leaning on something but if he falls flat on the floor he just lies there until someone gets him. BTW, I appreciate everyone taking the time to reply to my thread

houseofhormones, i was simply pointing out that whilst i agree that there is a connection with crawling and some co-ordination conditions such as dyspraxia. It is not correct however that it is the lack of crawling that causes it, the lack of crawling can be a symptom, that is all. I think aloha makes the point better than i do anyway

I am sorry if i was a little aggresive in making my point but i just find the whole competitive development (not that it is going on on in this thread im pleased to say) malarky a little trying.

Alibobster - i dont think the falling over thing is a big deal, he is walking very early after all. I have noticed that my DD rather waits to be picked up (she is 2!) when she falls flat, but it is definately a "come and fetch me, ive fallen over, look at ME" sort of thing rather than inability.

DD bottom shuffled, cruised at 9 months and walked at 11 months, she is now nearly 5 and very bright and no more clumsy than any other child her age.

DS (15 months) bottom shuffled but shows no signs of cruising so now has physio, he was found to have hypermobile joints so he's not confident to put weight on them because it's too wobbly and he gets scared he'll fall. He does seem to have problems with sequences, in that he's only just worked out how to sit up from lying down, which is late.

What I'm trying to say is all bottom shufflers are different, some who have some developmental problem or delay that may or may not in the future lead to problems with reading and writing wont crawl, they will shuffle, but some children will shuffle and not show problems with any other aspect.

Please don't worry yourself over articles that generalise very specific research statistics.