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Why Do Children with Autism Walk on Their Toes?

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face many challenges that neurotypical individuals often do not. This may include trouble with communication, social interaction or even some daily life tasks.

In addition, children who have autism may experience sensory sensitivities that might be considered outside the norm. This could include having trouble with certain sensory inputs such as loud noises or strong odors, or even being sensory-seeking in certain ways to help calm and center themselves.

Each individual child’s experience with sensory inputs is different, especially as ASD affects people in a very diverse way across a wide spectrum. At the same time, there are some common sensory things that children with autism often engage in.

One of those common things is walking on their toes. It’s something that some children with autism definitely do, and there has been research done on it as well.

Let’s discuss more what the relationship between autism and walking on toes is.

Table Of Contents

What is Toe Walking?

When children walk on their toes, they don’t use the typical motion of heel-to-toe to walk. With toe walking, as it’s referred to, they will either walk on their toes or balls of their feet instead.

Many young children toe walk, in fact, especially as they’re first learning how to walk. Over time, most children will settle back down into that heel-to-toe pattern and walk on their toes less and less.

Some children continue toe walking well into their toddler years, and sometimes beyond. While it’s not a definitive sign of autism — as many children without autism also exhibit toe walking — it certainly could be.

A study that was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, for instance, found that as much as one-fifth of children who have autism also toe walk. While that’s not a majority of children with ASD, it is a large segment of the population.

Is Toe Walking a Problem?

In the short term, toe walking doesn’t pose any problems or concerns. If done persistently, it could result in having tight calves and muscles. In some extreme cases, children who persistently toe walk well past toddler years may need bracing and/or surgery.

By itself, toe walking may be related to physical ailments. It could be a sign of excitement or some other emotion.

If you observe your child toe walking in conjunction with some of the other common signs of autism — such as challenges with social interactions, communication, repetitive behaviors or restricted interests — then it’s best to have them evaluated by a professional for ASD.

Why Do Children with Autism Walk on Their Toes?

There are a number of reasons why children with autism might walk on their toes. Some of the common reasons include …

  • Vestibular processing: The vestibular system could be dysfunctional in a child who has autism. The system is responsible for giving the brain feedback about body position and motion. If this is off, a child may walk on their toes.
  • Comfort: Some children who have autism walk on their toes because it provides them comfort. It could feel good and act in a way as a self-stimulatory behavior, or stim.
  • Sensory issues: As mentioned, some children with ASD have sensory processing issues. In this regard, walking on their toes could help them cope with certain environments that are overwhelming to them.

Children with autism who walk on their toes may need to undergo physical therapy and/or occupational therapy to help them deal with the effects of their toe walking.

Physical therapy, for instance, could help them stretch out the tendons and calf muscles that can be shortened due to toe walking. It can also help them to learn to walk in a more typical pattern.

At the same time, applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy, can help them build coping skills for any sensory processing issues over time.

Often considered the gold standard of treatment for children with autism, ABA therapy helps patients build the social, communication and daily life skills with which they often struggle. Using positive reinforcement and repetition, it can also help children with autism modify other behaviors so they do less damage to their bodies — such as from toe walking.

Blue Gems ABA Treats Children with Autism

Toe walking is relatively common for children who have autism. While it’s not a definitive sign in and of itself, it could be if combined with some of the other common symptoms.

At Blue Gems ABA, our team of dedicated therapists administer one-on-one ABA therapy to patients, helping them live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.

To learn more, please contact us today.