Why do autistic people toe walk?

Why do Autistic people toe walk?

There are real physiological reasons caused by the neuromuscular system. It isn't just a "quirk."

Many of you have asked about my neuromuscular treatment. In this video I share the snowflake on the tip of the iceberg of some of that knowledge.

#ToeWalking #ActuallyAutistic #ADHD #AuDHD #NeuromuscularTherapy #NMT #SympatheticNervousSystem #StJohnNeuromuscularTherapy #Therapy #PT #PhysicalTherapy #Posture #POTS #EDS #HyperMobile #PainRelief #BadTone

[Tstumpman]

My daughter is autistic, and when you did that forward shift of the hips i immediately recognized it in her posture.

[tamsolo]

I do this but I always associated it with not wanting anything from the floor sticking to my feet while maintaining the comfort of being barefoot. Also, I grew up in an abusive home and made it my mission to learn how to walk silently.

[AJansenNL]

Oh my, this explains so much about my bad posture, toe walking, flat feet, neck pain, digestive issues. I'm not sure if I'm autistic yet, but this sure fits the pattern!

[myoldaimsnwastaken]

"Curing—not autism because there is nothing to cure..."

Thank you. I know this wasn't the point of the video, but this was so validating to hear.

[goverlord]

I used to get beaten for this and made to press my back against the wall for hours. I always assumed the tiptoe was me trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to be noticed.

[rcjdeanna]

My granddaughter walked on tiptoe rather severely and my daughter put her through tests and doctors. I managed to get her to a stable and learn to ride, making her keep her heels down in the stirrups and giving her a wonderful exercise. Today she is a horse rehab therapist and continues to ride. The problem corrected itself in a year.

[MrianLP]

Is it not also caused by sensory issues and dyspraxia making it so you don't (want to) impact with your heels when you walk? If I walk heel-toe without shoes its a lot more impact, and thus jarring for my whole body (I'm not slamming my heels down). While toe walking the rest of my body doesn't jerk as much with each step. You get more fine control with each step, as it feels more "bouncy", instead of a straight impact with the heel. At least this is my perspective and why I toewalk.

[paulis]

As a person who's lived through a decade+ of physical therapy instruction, and a current student of physical therapy (premed), this seven minutes completely explained what I've learned through painful experience and training, and only recently figured out the "secret" being a full body workout with focus on areas of weakness. Even with deteriorating spine with narrowing spinal cord in my cervical spine, and a few herniations, I've finally become mostly pain free and walk correctly again.

[teaganisokey]

Showing this to my pt, I am currently being forced to do therapy in order to get a diagnosis. You'd think it would be the other way around but insurance companies are stupid.

[FlorescentInk]

A lot of people must have anterior tilt, because figure drawing art classes actually teach you to draw the tilt. I always thought it was accurate/natural/default, and had no idea that it's supposed to be parallel to the ground.

[crackers]

did this as a kid until people made fun of me so bad that I stopped. no one in the family asked doctors about it, but did bring up leg shaking, which was chalked up to "nerves"

[atlanticjem]

Wow... I want more info on how I can help the kids I work with! I'm a nanny for kids with special needs; mostly autism. For years I've been expected to take kids to various therapies. Yet parents have often said I accomplish more with their kids than these therapists who they've been seeing for years. I'm now learning that I have autism. And the methods I've used for helping kids are simply what I've naturally figured out works best for each kid from my own experience and from getting to know each kid individually and what they need help with. None of the ones I've worked with (nor myself) have necessarily been toe walkers. But I've watched therapists working with kids who have that and as much as I didn't have a better suggestion, I have always felt their methods were just plain wrong, if not downright torturous. Basically just trying to force the kids' feet to touch the ground and move normally. Often with weights or some sort of device to force their feet into the "right" shape. I always had trouble watching. Now I feel I have something to go on to at least speak up if one of my nanny kids ever has that issue and the parents are looking for help with it. Thank you for that. I'm no therapist. And I always tell every parent before I work for them that I have zero special training for working with special needs kids. But I've got 14 years of success in helping kids grow and develop at their own pace and building on whatever skills they were ready to improve on. And I'm constantly trying to learn as much as I can so that I'm not hindering kids in any way or adding any more problems to their already complicated lives. My goal is just to help in any way I can.

[sarahjensen]

I never had luck with professionals helping me, but have improved my posture with the cue to “ground” when I stand, instead of “stand up tall.” I also had to loosen the muscles that were pulling me into a curved shape. That, and losing 4 inches of bloat from the gluten in my diet so my abs could actually work, has done more than all the official treatments I’ve tried.

I find that doing childlike movements, with lots of crouching, squatting, and funny stretching helps me feel my body more and improves my proprioception, too.

[nathanjw]

My sensory overload leads to heartburn my first sign is hiccups and exhaustion from an overactive nervous system. I toe walk when it's definitely worse and do lean forward

[kestrelpounces]

Late-diagnosed in my 50’s, toe-walked from my first steps. Possible I was that stressed, but was at one point told some of us do it to improve stability to compensate for dyspraxia. However, I have a pelvic tilt, toe walk when exhausted, occasional severe back spasms, and so much stress related neck and shoulder tension that I temporarily developed neuropathy in my hands from nerve compression, so your explanation makes so much more sense!! Physical therapy has helped a lot (mostly heat and stretching)- your video is a good argument for making sure I do this routinely, not just when more obviously symptomatic!

I very much enjoyed your simplified (but detailed? 🙃) summary! AuDHD’s presenting deep dives and special interests to other AuDHD’s sounds like such a glorious use of YouTube! 👍

[Proud_Knight]

This is bittersweet. On one hand this ties so many things together that I've been experiencing my whole life in some cases, and more recently in others. This not only confirms a lot of things I already thought but helps to explain some of the ways I've been suffering for several years now with no one able to tell me what is wrong with me. I can't even function as a human being most days and this all but told me exactly what I need to do to fix it. On the other hand, it confirms that I can't fix it without somehow fixing my financial problems first, when my financial problems essentially require me to fix my health first. It's a catch-22... My health is locked behind a catch-22...

[eveningprimrose]

I have swayback (lordosis) and have noticed for a long time that in order to stay upright when standing I have to put more weight on the front of my feet, and this causes me to have a "pitched forward" look. Now I know why! I also have become convinced in the past four years or so that I am autistic. I had no idea at all until the past few months that certain body postures were related to autism, including lordosis, kyphosis, and scoliosis.

I love it when pieces start fitting together and making a discernable picture.

Edit: I also used to stand on the outer edges of my feet a lot. That also seems to mitigate the leaning forward.

[HaShomeret]

I cannot believe I stumbled onto this video just from like the algorithm.
I counsel parents with special Ed children and before this all I knew was "toe walking, pt eval" I am so so greatful for this information and will spread it to parents and therapists right away!

[PlasticSinks]

woah! this is fascinating!! The way it all stems and cascades from the nervous system, I had no idea.

[ShawnFFHellcat]

Umm... I- I think you may have just solved the issues plaguing my body for the last 10 years of my life... I'm 24 in 10 days, and I'm nearly completely dependent because I physically can't handle any type of work for any length of time... I'm literally tearing up in shock right now at finding out this this information. I've been riding dangerously close to the line of giving up for so long now, and finally, finally I may have an answer... Thank you! Thank you so much for making this video!!!