Is walking on tiptoes always a marker for autism?

[WhereTheFuck]

My DD is 21 months old and displays none of the red flags for autism, she is a very good communicator, is speaking in sentences (the one I remember from today was 'breadsticks over there on table' but she is doing it quite a lot). She has good eye contact, responds to her name etc but I have noticed recently she does often walk on tiptoes. Could this be a warning sign despite everything else? Thanks in advance, anxious single mum.

Please don't worry about this! Lots of children walk on tiptoes, especially when they're this young. Just google it and see...

My son is 14 now and often walked on tiptoes when he was little.

He still does it occasionally now but it has always been a nervous thing with him.

If he was excited about something or in trouble for something.

I was always telling him to walk properly or he would make his legs ache.

He's definitely not autistic, it's just one of those things he had and has mainly grown out of now.

There are lots of reasons for tip toe walking don't worry. It's considered totally normal up until the age of 3. After that they sometimes consider other causes like hypermobility syndrome but often it's just idiopathic. My 3.5 year old occasionally tip toe walks but it's less than 30% of the time and he stops as soon as he's encouraged not to so no one is worried. He doesn't do it at all in shoes. At your daughters age he did it nearly all the time!

Oh thank you very much, that's really reassuring. I will stop panicking then!

Absolutely not. Habitual tip toe walking is fairly common and often exists on its own.

Some people with ASD are/have been tip toe walkers but not all tip toe walkers are autistic

My cousin walked on tip toes for years and years! Think she stopped in her teens. Definitely not autistic!

My DS was (and still is, in his late teens) a tiptoe walker. He has low functioning autism but at that age he didn't turn for his name, say any words, mostly just screamed a very high pitched sound, didn't understand to follow pointing, couldn't point. Tiptoe walking was just one of a whole host of things. Try not to worry x

My niece always walks on tip toes and is definitely not autistic,

my son on the other hand, never walks on tip toes and is definitely autistic!

No there can be lots of reasons. It can be linked to autism because it can be (but isn't always) a sensory seeking behaviour but neurotypical toddlers can sensory seek too. It can imply autism when observed as one of many other behaviours or traits on a spectrum, not as a stand alone. It can also be physical so you could mention it to HV or dr when you next see them. I'd not make a dedicated appointment at this stage.

I walked 9n tiptoes as a child and still lapse into it on occasion in my 30s. I am not autistic. Its just a habit.

I did when I was a child and broke the habit but would still sometimes slip back into it (especially after wearing mum's high heels when playing dress up ) I'm in my 30s and still sometimes find myself walking around the house on tip toes... I'm not autistic.

Mum of 9 year old who tip toe walked till probably 7 (though not all the time). Nursery flagged it saying possible autism (0 other markets or suggestion) and I pushed and pushed to get a referral ended up with the Head children's physio locally who examined her and talked to me.

Diagnosis: she walked early and didn't crawl much this means they 'lock' their legs and it becomes muscle memory

Treatment: walk like a penguin and clompy shoes for school

My daughters friend did this and at a school medical they said the muscles at the back of her ankles were a bit tight. She wore trainer boots for a while but I don't know if she needed any other treatment.

I walked on tip toes as a child - I’ve got short Achilles tendons. Means I’m great in high heels, mind!

Hi
how’s your little one doing ? Has she eventually stopped on her own ? ❤️ ps going through the same with my DD

I have walked on tiptoes since learning to walk. I even do it when wearing shoes and am nearly always in heels because of this.
My mum took me to the GP several times and autism was never mentioned as a cause. I do it because of short tendons in my lower leg but as I can physically walk flat footed, I just don't because it's uncomfortable, they didn't do anything about it. The less I walk flat footed however the more uncomfortable it gets so I do have to force myself to walk flat footed. The best it has been was when I had a bad sprain and was on crutches for 6 weeks and had to wear close to flat shoes for 6 months so for me at least it is a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy. The more I walk on tiptoes the more I have to walk on tiptoes. Encouraging flat footed walking should help and maybe a trip to the GP to see if there is anything going on mechanically to cause the tiptoes walking. I'm having to make a conscious effort to walk flat footed around my 4yo as she has started to copy me.

Hi any updates please