toe-walking and hand flapping question!

Good news is i got rid of the old hag pt that many of you know about!!
BAD news is my LO no longer qualifies for pt! GO FIGURE!

question...
she said today to watch-out for his handflapping and toe-walking. she said it was sensory related but didn't say anything else.
omg. i TRIED not to google, hahahaa....
why is this a concern? i couldn't ask. did anyone else's LO do this? :grouphug:

 

I think those can be early symptoms of autism, but I also think that toddlers just do weird things as they figure out how their bodies work at first. I think it's more important to worry about whether he interacts with you and makes eye contact, looks for your approval and is progressing toward other milestones.

ETA - Also, given the history of your PT, I would take everything she says with a serious grain of salt.

 

This is the new PT that said this; hence why I got nervous. What about things like eye contact, etc. He does that and snuggles with me. He also smiles at me.

 

I probably wouldn't worry then! I have a nephew who is autistic and in his case he had really noticeable anti-social behaviour. If he interacts with you, I'd say there's nothing to worry about.

 

The only thing I would suggest is to mention the behaviors to your pedi and see what they say about it. It could be just on the range of normal toddler behavior. My BF's 7 year old used to hand flap and he was diagnosed with mild Aspergers...he has other symptoms, he was not diagnosed on the hand flapping alone.

 

Like pp said. Many children with Asd hand flap and toe walk...however that does not mean that all kids who toe walk and hand flap have asd. If he were unrelated i would be more concerned.

 

Oh lordy. What is going on with the PT's in your area??? :gah: Yes, hand flapping & toe walking can be signs of autism. They can also be signs of a perfectly normal kid who has discovered walking on their toes, or who thinks it is funny to flap their hands! If, however, these behaviors are accompanies by other behavioral signs (inappropriate smiling or lack of smiles, little to no eye contact, decrease or delay in verbal skills and other repetitive behaviors like rocking) it can be a sign of autism. I have 2 nephews with autism - both did the hand flapping, but there were plenty of other signs such as diminished eye contact, repeated rocking and compulsive type behaviors (opening and closing cupboards/drawers was one), lack of speech, headbanging and head slapping.... interestingly enough both were, and still are, extremely physically affectionate little guys.

Your PT is right to tell you to watch out for certain signs, but she needs to explain WHY you need to watch for them, not leave you hanging in a state of high anxiety that forces you to consult Dr Google! :grr: I only say that because I am a PT myself, and an instructor at a PT school. People don't realize just how much anxiety they can cause when they engage their mouth before they have put their brain into gear... :hush:

 

why couldn't you ask?

 

I've had all toe walkers here, my kids think it's fun, and no other signs of autism whatsoever, they just think it's fun

 

he is OBSESSED with opening and closing the cabinets.
he loves opening and closing the door to his playhouse, too.

 

Toddlers do that kind of thing in phases though... as they learn new things they do it over and over and over again until they figure out something new. I think your little ones are pretty close to 18 months though, and if you're very concerned and/or it will ease your mind, ask your doctor to do an autism screening. I think that when a kid is diagnosed with autism, it's generally after the parents have a gut feeling that something is "off"... if you don't have that feeling and your son is generally social and interactive, I wouldn't be that concerned.

 

i am not sure what social and interactive means. he smiles, goes to us, lays and cuddles with us, goes to his babysitter, etc...
as far as interactive goes, he plays with his brother. well his brother antagonizes him, takes his paci and then therefore he has to chase him, lol.

 

Reaches for you, makes eye contact, shows interest in things that you're paying attention to, points at things, looks for your approval when they're doing things, can be calmed by you when they're upset. He may or may not do all of these things at this point in time, but they're indicators.

 

My guys both started walking on their toes recently and at first I was concerned because I thought something was wrong with their feet. But I just think honestly its because they think its funny and different. They also hand flap, but usually when the wiggles are on or something with music, I break it down to dancing and they think its fun. I think if you over think things and self diagnose on google it can make you go crazy and you will only see the negative signs and assume its something bad. I think if a child were autistic it might be a little more obvious at that age? Im not expert I just thought id write my opinion to

 

he does all of those things...

 

Then I think you're good! I know how hard it is to not worry.. I was so worried about the autism issue with the twins because we have a couple cases in our family, but it sounds like everything is a-ok and your PT just wants to be cautious.

 

http://letscureautism.com/autism_information/autism_checklist.html

Here is the modified screening...it might make u feel better

 

The CDC has a great website for milestones and early warning signs also. And don't panic about the opening and closing of doors thing!! One of my girls walked on her toes for ages. Then she discovered the kitchen drawers. Now she is all about walking backwards! I truly didn't mean to make you more panicked - it sounds like your little guy is perfectly fine. It sounds like you are able to interest him in things that you are doing, & truly that is a big thing. When I was talking about drawer opening/closing, I meant that my little nephew would do it continuously for HOURS & scream his head off if you tried to stop or distract him. And he NEVER had good eye contact with people.

I think, as a parent, especially one who has participated in early intervention programs, we become really paranoid. I think your PT was just trying, (in a rather clumsy way), to make sure that if, on the off chance, your little guy did start exhibiting behaviors that might possibly be concerning, you would seek help right away. Unfortunately, we live in a society that forces medical providers to try to cover their rear-ends from every eventuality...which can lead to a lot of unnecessary care, concern and worry by parents. From your descriptions of your son's behavior, I wouldn't be worried. :hug:

Edited to include the CDC's website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html.

 

Just wanted to add...that check list I gave u a link to is usually given at 18 and 24 months...at 18 months both of mine had some "flags" and at 24 months they have none.