toe-walking

About a year ago, I posted a TikTok video of my 18-month-old daughter toe-walking. For the record, every toddler (for the most part) will experiment with tiptoeing. If it is infrequent and they’re under the age of 3, there’s no need to worry.

Shortly after the video posted, multiple comments came along the lines of “You need to get her checked. She might have autism.” Side note: she doesn’t.

Although I know their concerns were well-intended, their rationale seemed ill-informed. While frequent toe-walking may be a sign of developmental issues, other delays or difficulties must be present to determine such a diagnosis. But if you Google toe-walking, autism is in the top 3 search suggestions. No wonder parents get nervous when their kid starts walking on their tiptoes.

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Toe-walking is exactly how it sounds, when a child primarily walks on the balls of their feet or on their toes, instead of using their whole foot. This is typical when a child is learning to walk independently. Children usually outgrow it before 3, as they develop a consistent stride and heel strike.

However, some children continue to toe-walk for no immediate reason at all. This is known as idiopathic toe-walking. This means that, though a child frequently walks and balances on their toes, they can still physically keep up with their peers, walk with straight knees, and can stand with their feet flat on the ground. Idiopathic toe-walking has been estimated to occur in 7% to 24% of the childhood population.

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