Do you toe walk?

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Toe walking is considered common with an ASD but I was wondering, how common is it really? I have toe-walked all my life. As for other ASD folks I have no idea. Have at it

As far as I know, I never did. Possible I did as a young child, but if so, I didn't know it.

Sure did. I still point my right leg when I stand up, but I walk normally now.

What is toe walking

I ticked no, but that's not including ballet class. I did like going on my toes when dancing, but never really did it at other times.

I think stuff like toe walking and hand flapping are things to look for as indicators of autism in small children. I don't think many high functioning adults do either of those things. Nor should they think they need to as some sort of qualification.

I voted "up until adolescence" though I remember doing some toe-walking in some situations up until recently. Up to adolescence I did it a lot. During adulthood I only did it on staircases, oddly. In recent years I now longer toe-walk on stairs, so now no toe walking at all.

I don't know why I did it on stairs.

I don't think people do it to make sure they have qualifications, I think it is just a mindless habit of muscle memory that is supposedly more common among the ASD population compared to the rest of the population. I am sure there is some reason people start walking like that but I think once you start it, your muscles just retain how you used them and try to do it again. Sometimes though, when I am thinking about it, I make myself walk 'normally' even though it feels unnatural.

ScarletIbis, I agree with your theory that the reason why adults may have lost the toe walking habit if they had it when younger, may be due to their gaining an awareness that it's unusual and an effort not to do it.

At least, this feels true in my case. A lot of my aspie traits were stronger when I was younger and it was my own growing awareness and a desire to "hide" them that prompted me to lose or modify them.

Whether that's always a good thing is another issue, but yes I agree with you that it seems to often be the case that adults increasing awareness makes them modify these behaviors.

That is very much one of the biggest stumbling blocks adults face when seeking diagnosis, as many of us may have indeed done a process of weeding-out of their behaviors. It takes a skilled assessor to know what to recognize regarding any modified and learned behaviors they observe in the person.

Thankfully that seems to be a factor which more and more diagnosticians of adults are acknowledging, but it can still be problematic, yes.

I stumbled on this site a few months ago, and just joined after I stumbled on this question. As soon as I saw the words "toe walk" I knew exactly what it meant. I remember as a child I had special custom-made shoes (not sneakers - nasty ugly black/brown shoes) I was forced to wear. And a vague memory of a bar across my lower legs when I slept. I remember asking my parents in later years about the shoes (I had forgot about the bar) and my mom answered "because you walked toe-to-heel".

I should mention this was in the late 60s. I am sure doctors then viewed the issue as a defect. Something about the bones in my lower legs being twisted - hence the bar to "correct" that. Yes...medieval medicine. Maybe I am wrong. But someone asked the question and I already this site for other reasons.

I have never toe walked. The only times in my life I've been sort of on my toes have been when I have been trying to reach for something

I used to as a kid but I stopped around the time I was in middle school. I don't really know why I stopped.