22 Month Old Walking on Toes

It's supposedly a sensory-seeking thing, same reason kids like to twirl around and spin for no reason at all. I wouldn't worry unless it seemed excessive or you saw other strange traits showing up. Sounds kinda cute to me.

No worries. My daughter does this too, she's 2 1/2 years old. My mother told me not to long ago, that I did this as toddler well.

Hi, I am a mother of three, two girls and a boy. My two daughters didnt do this, but my now three and a half year old son Braxton started doing this around 1 year of age and soon after was diagnosed with a mild case of autism. Now autism is more common in boys than girls so dont start to panic. Another common reasson why children walk on their tiptoes is because they have weak arches in their feet and may need extra support shoes such as weebies or specially designed sneakers to help their arches form and allow the child to begin to walk properly. Also it may just be something your daughter is going through, like a phase. I suggest that you just watch her for a month or so and if she continues to do this take her to a perdiatrician and he or she may refer the child to a foot specialist.

My 8 yr old daughter did this too when she learned to walk. She is now a GATE student, top of her class, very high achieving. Her pediatrician was keeping an eye on her when she was little because there was some medical condition that went with it, but since it never happened I forgot all about it. Sometimes, still, she will walk this way, and usually because she is excited about something, so it could just be your daughter's exuberance bursting out of her, like my daughter. Enjoy it! :)

Hi K.,

My 21 month old walks on her toes too. She likes to whirl around and dance on her toes too. I talked to a occupational therapist about this and she said that it is natural in some children to do this, just not all the time (ie more than she walks flat on her feet). I think it may be a girl thing......she loves to play with her ballerina Barbie and afterwards she tries to dance like the doll.

My son walked on his toes alot from about 14 months to about 2 1/2. He's now almost four and walks fine. No problem whatsoever. He does have high arches.

I don't want to alarm you, but I used to look after a small boy who also walked on his tippy toes and he was diagnosed with autism. This is not to say your child has autism, mind you we all have some form of autism, most have very mild unoticeable autism where as some have a more pronounced form. I was told that walking on tip toes is one of the characteristics of autism, would not hurt to have your little one checked out, although she does sound like a perfectly normal girl!!! Best wishes!!!

My daughter started walking on her toes ever since she could balance on them. She is now 4 years old and is the star of her ballet class! She has no other developmental problems, though I was warned many times of this. Just ask your ped and then forget about it!

Hi K.

I got curious when I saw your request, so I searched and found this on Babycenter.. Just as a reference, since it may not apply to your daughter's situation at all..
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Expert Answers
Andrew Adesman, pediatric development expert
If she doesn't do it all the time, it's unlikely that it means anything at this age. Most children "toe walk" occasionally when they're cruising (moving around a room using various objects for support) and when they're first starting to walk, especially if they're walking on a bare floor. Some kids keep doing it, off and on, just for fun — the same way they try to walk along crosswalk lines or step over cracks in the sidewalk.

If your daughter is toe walking consistently, however, talk to her pediatrician. Frequent toe walking can signal several different problems, the most serious of which is cerebral palsy. (If she was born prematurely, you'll want to keep an especially close eye on her because preemies are more prone to the form of cerebral palsy called diplegia, which involves the bottom half of the body.) The problem could also be physical: It's not common, but some children have short Achilles tendons, which means it's difficult or impossible for them to walk flat-footed without help. This problem is generally easily treated, either with surgery or with non-surgical approaches to stretching the Achilles tendons.

Toe walking with no accompanying physical problems is called idiopathic toe walking, and is frequently seen in children with language or other developmental disorders, though we don't know just why. If your child has this condition, your pediatrician will want to do an evaluation, including a neurological exam, looking for language and other developmental delays. If the results of this exam are normal and your child does not have any significant delays, however, she won't need therapy and will most likely grow out of the condition on her own.

Community Answers

My daughter walks on her toes. We never thought anything of it, since she always said "i am a ballerina, I am a princess.." At 3.5 yrs old, we were at the Shriners' Hospital (for other reasons) and a doctor pointed out that she should no longer be walking on her toes... after a few simple tests, it was found that she wasnt doing it on purpose, and that she was lacking 5-10% of the muscle length in her calves due to walking like this. She now wears leg braces at night to help stretch them out because it would HURT her to put her feet flat otherwise. We also have to remind her to walk "flat footed" and to sit with her legs crossed and out in front of her. Some toe walking early is normal they told me, especially in boys; but if you find your child starts in her flats then ends up on toes, sits with her feet folded under her, and other positions where the feet are pointed, ask about it. it can cause serious walking and muscle problems when they grow up.
posted 5/06/2008 by Anonymous

It's not a "girl" thing. My husband and I both did this as children as a result of femoral antiversion. It corrects itself (usually) during puberty. If not, there is a surgery they can do. My husband and I both walk fine now (no surgery required), and have always been very fast runners. My daughter has a mild case as well, but I'm not worried. Talk to your doctor if you need the peace of mind. Perhaps there are now early treatments that aren't invasive.

I had EI (Early Intervention) do therepay on my daughter. She basically is normal, expect for the tip toe walking. Her therapist claims its a sensory issue. And said I should see an orthopedist who knows more about this. I went and the Doctor basically read my mind. He asked "She trips and falls often and your concerned about her safety" and I said yes. What it is he said is IN TOE WALKING. He showed me when my daughter stands up her feet goes towards in. So he prescribed inserts for her shoes. BTW my daughter been walking on her toes since she started walking. Now she is about 2 1/2 years old. you should have your daughter doctor refer you to a orthopedist and see what the professional say about this.

Does she have flat feet? My niece has flat feet and always walked on her tip tops. When she was little she had to have special shoes that had little to no arch otherwise her feet would really hurt. She still wears low arch shoes. She is 22 years old now and the funny thing is that she is more comfortible still walking on her tip toes she can wear the highest of highheils and it is more comfortible then some tennis shoes.

Hi K., If you have questions about sensory perception or sensory integration issues I would contact the Pediatric Therapy Network in Torrance. They are world renowned in this field of study. Check the website.

Just keep loving her there are very few people that walk on their tippy toes as adults, even people with sensory issues.. good luck. Deb

My kids all did it too. One of my son's had to have surgery to extend his Achilles Tendons, but my other son and daughter got over it with stretching routines and reminding them to walk on flat feet. While it's a hereditary thing for us, I know others who have had this happen. It could be the balance thing, and it could be a warning sign, or it could be a stretching problem. Something you can try with her, is to stretch each night before bed and when you wake in the morning. Do some stretches that deal with the Achilles Tendon and see if that helps. You should also take her to a doctor, just for a check-up and mention it to them. They may be able to tell you something more after an examination.

I used to do the same thing as did my sister's little girls. My mom decided to put me into ballet once i turned 3 because of it. There's nothing wrong with this, in fact it's advanced in some ways. Don't worry and enjoy you're little angel.
:o)

I was going to make a request with almost the same problem. Difference is, my daughter is 3 and has been walking on her toes since she started walking! We always say "walk on your feet," and she does, but then she goes right back to the toes. I don't want her to have any developmental problems (shortened achilles, etc). I'm probably going to talk to her pediatrician. I'll let you know what I find out!

Just to clarify is your daughter walike up on the balls of her feet or on her actual toes? My 2 girls both do it on their actual toes. My older one has told me that it is fun. She is"walking like a ballerina" she thinks it is a silly way to walk. I think the younger picked it up from the older. I think they are fine. I would just make sure she isnt doing it all the time.

Has she always done this or is it new? My friend's daughter has always walked on her toes and they needed to get her special shoes to help correct it. They waited until 18 months, so she'd been walking several months by then, but it didn't correct itself. It definitely warrants a call to the doctor just to make sure. As with anything, the sooner you catch it, the easier it is to fix!

K.
http://oc.citymommy.com

I have two girls (almost 3 and 5) and a new baby boy. I remember both of my girls going through a phase of this (the second more than the first as well as some other things I heard could be signs) and I was concerned because I had heard the same. Neither of them do it now... and they are both doing great in school- nothing but great reports from their teachers about everything for their ages. I wouldn't worry at all unless you notice other issues or if your pediatrician has any concerns at the 2yr check up. I agree with you about balance... it seemed to be a sort of fascination with being ABLE to and like you said, both of them did it on and off not constantly. Don't know if it's a girl thing or just a some kids thing- but I know that mine are past the phase and doing great.

Probably normal. It seems like many of the other Mamas disagree. But I notice my daughter trying out all different kinds of walking... toes, heals, backwards. She always has such a blissful smile on her face as if she is just amazed with her own incredible powers. I think it's just self-discovery, but if you are worried, you can always discuss with your pediatrician.

When my children were young in a child-filled neighborhood, the little boy next door walked on his toes. I don't think anyone got too worried about it. It was very prominent, not just once in a while. I can say that he is now a successful businessman in his forties and by the time he went to school, he was no longer walking on his toes. I hope that helps -- and of course it is not a "girl thing."

Hi K.,

It is very good that you are watching closely your precious little girl. The way you describe her reminds me of my girl, now 5-year-old, who was 2.5 years when she started experimenting walking on her tippy toes. She did ballet at the time, we watched and waited. It wasn't anything serious to be conserned and the pediatritian was positive she would outgrow it by age 4, which most children do. She didn't and things got worse. I took her to a poediatrist who recommended physical theraphy. This little new habit of hers caused her pain when she tried to walk normally because the tendonce of her leg muscle got shorter. We did stretches and different exercises and she recovered pretty quickly but I still need to watch and correct her because she is so used to it. Good luck! You are doing the right thing by observing her and keeping things under control.

I would encourage you to have your pediatrician look at her and to monitor her walking. In addition to advice that others have already posted, some children have a shorten Achilles tendon (or something like that) and require surgery to make it longer.

Hi K.,

This could be a sensory issue; so if this continues say for the next 2 months then I would call your local regional center and ask for evaluation. If you have further concerns please feel free to call.

Penny Amic
CEO/Clinical Director
Special Beginnings
An Early Intervention Network