Does lining things up mean autism?

[cooperbug]

My just turned 3 year old girl is frequently lining toys up such as cars and pens and flaps her arms sometimes when excited/overstimulated.

I’m worried that this means she has autism? She also has some pretty big meltdowns.

Speech and language, socialisation is good.

What do you think?

Why does everything have to be an illness/an issue? Kids do things. Kids have meltdowns. Kids have bad days. Kids play differently.

Also, autism is a set of issues that can be diagnosed by a professional, same as ADHD and all other issues parents worry about.

If worried, I'd speak to GP/HV but really sounds like a normal toddler/youngster.

I'd ask myself - why would you be worried if she did have autism?

@cooperbug

My recently turned 3 year old daughter does exactly the same.. she will jump up and down on the spot rubbing her hands excitedly, has the most epic meltdowns (8 year old sister NEVER had these traits!) and is normally a relatively well behaved child...

I think its all normal and they are learning to express emotions and process things... and my mom said i was exactly the same at her age so im not too concerned at all...

if its any consolation the older they get the better it gets.... 😊🤞

I think ALL children sometimes do things which can be indicators of autism. Certainly my son enjoyed lining his cars up. He would also walk on tiptoe and flap his arms etc - also things which are sometimes trotted out as signs of being on the spectrum.

Given that her speech/language and social skills are appropriately developed I can't say I would be too concerned.

My little boy who is now 3.5 used to line his cars up allll the time, he was obsessed! There would be lines everywhere. He stopped doing it Now, but every now and then a line will appear here or there :)

My 2 1/2 year old lines things up obsessively and is very particular about lots of things, pretty sure he's not autistic though. I think it's pretty normal. As per a previous poster most toddlers seem to show some of these behaviours (my elder one it's walking on his tip toes and playing the same games/doing specific activities over and over again) but in isolation it's probably not concerning.