Toddler won't walk way I want him too

[Maggie199408]

Not sure if in correct section he is currently working with someone for sensory issues being non verbal and potential autism...

We have lots of issues with walking took us a long time to find a pair of shoes he will walk in he's 2 in May...so he only will wear boots and when we walk outside he has a routine way if we attempt to go a different way he will sit on floor refuse to stand or cry we try to make it fun and encourage and we also tried the whole leaving and walking away to see if follow. We have issues with him in pushchair too when we go round shops and he's in it he will cry if I go the way he doesn't want to down an isle it's very challenging! We also struggle with food he was traditionally weaned and he has major issues with sensory will not touch things that aren't biscuit style dry we are constantly working on this we get a step forward then stops altogether 🙈 just want to know any advice it's super exhausting x

The difficulties walking can be completely typical with 1 year olds. Same for crying in the buggy if you don’t go where they want to go.

When you say you are working with someone for sensory issues, who are you working with? Is it an OT, paed, dietician?

So where I'm from we have something called sure start so these are referred to us when the child isn't hitting enough of the milestones when they go to be assesed for example at the 12 month review ect by certain ages and that's where everyone goes for support and currently we been with her to assess him for last 6 weeks and she writes down everything he can do and takes us to different environments to watch how he is and discuss everything there's a lot of symptoms he shows for example sensory issues with food is major we been struggling with it since we started solids doesn't respond to name or when spoken to doesn't say words or babble no eye contact plays alone has certain ways of doing things puts everything in lines does a lot of what she calls racking on the floor always drops to floor and racks side to side shakes hands at tv doesn't point at things or guide us in any way to things could go on haha but we also know he may be fine as he grows up just for now the walking is a challenge as it's every single time will never go a different route and will always cry in pushchair which makes going out very challenging x

I would look at referrals to a dietician and OT. In some areas, you can self refer to these. Also, look at a referral to physio to rule out hypermobility - some DC who have hypermobility find boots easier &/or less painful to walk in so I would want to rule it out given DS’s preference for boots.