Dc2 toe walks, is this something I should worry about? (Dd1 with autism)

[Used2bthin]

Just that really, dc2 has no other traits except really poor sleep and language developing well etc but dd1 regressed so its hard not to worry. Dd2 is twenty months. She has over lapping toes which may be relevant but she walked early (before ten months) so they don't seem to affect her. I think she is toe walking since having laminate floor rather than carpetweed living room, certainly its since this that I have noticed.

Would you worry/do anything? Dd1 never toe walked but I know it can be associated with sensory issues.

Thanks poltergoose and yes us too with physio. Will ring the health visitor then (unless it would be a gp thing?)

The health visitor was a bit too convinced I was worried re dd2s development (I really haven't been particularly but can see why she would expect me to be) so I am almost embarrassed to ask her for help, how ridiculous is that?!

my 2yo does this a bit and so did my 4yo so I'm not too worried.

I think mine does it more on laminate because it feels cold. She doesn't do it all the time though.

Yes I don't think dd2 does it all the time and its been since the laminate I have noticed so maybe that's the issue. I am going to get hold of the health visitor tomorrow though and see if we can have a physio referral to be safe.

I've read that around 20% of autists reported toe walking / propioception issues while young.

lots of papers here questioning-answers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/toe-walking-and-autism.html

BUT... a very significant number of typical children will go through a stage of toe walking. Something like 1 in 20 to 1 in 10 typical children.

In the pure stats though a sibling boy to an autist has about a 1 in 4 chance of being on the spectrum.

The toe walking and a sibling autist probably does mean you should keep an eye out, in my view, and potentially keep track on how social communication and pplay develops, this can be influenced when quite young from studies I've seen.

However, dont want to unneccsarily worry you if nothing else seems amiss and if only mildly on the spectrum eg with just some sensory integration or propioception issues some good OT and physio would help immensly

Thanks I think I need to see it as I have more knowledge than I would have had I not had dd1 first so will defo get it checked out and ask for physio check initially and keep an eye out. She is so different to dd1 at this age and already has good imaginary play, more language etc but the regression thing worries me as dd1 had normal language till 1-1 and a half. She never had imaginary play though and was (still is really) unable to understand language to the extent that dd2 does.

So I guess I get the physical causes ruled out or treated initially . Dd2 has a different father to dd1 which probably lowers the statistic likelihood a bit but there is ASD in both mine and dhs extended family so I think I need to get any concern checked out as I know the earlier the better with OT etc.

Just spoke to health visitor and she said dont worry lots of children under two do this so no need to do anything till two year check then we can think again if she is still doing it.

I am trying hard not to liken this to when dd1 wasn't talking at 17months (had lost all language rather than not talking YET iyswim) and I was told wait till the two year check! Now I look back and compare dd1 to dd2 it was very clear something was very different about the way she did everything, her speech and language impairment was described as profound by the first developmental paed we saw but yet it took two years of health visitors and gps telling me not to worry before I had an appointment at the hospital as even though an audiologist told me she thought something else was going on and I should ask for paed referral, I still chose to listen to the health visitor who said not to worry! I know this is a different situation but it is hard not to relive some of the desperation of those days when I didn't know if I was being ott or completely in denial about dd's development I would swing between the two opposite opinions!

Anyway in this case she is probably quite right and I will wait but keep it in mind re sensory stuff just so I am more on the ball if anything does seem familiar. It does seem that health visitors and gps are more inclined to say wait and see, it will be fine etc though than hospital doctors (having seen a lot of both due to dd1) but I guess most children ARE ok who GPS and health visitors see so its what they see most of.