Twinkle Toes

My daughter walks on her toes. And has been since she started walking. Actually, that's not quite true. She started walking when she was 22 months old, and she did (I have photographic evidence) walk in a heel-toe pattern, with her feet flat on the floor. But, it didn't last long. Soon after, my husband and I noticed that she was always toe walking when she was barefoot. Then, about a year ago, I noticed that she was walking on her toes in her running shoes at school. I know that toe-walking is common with children on the autism spectrum (and apparently most often seen in children with Aspergers) but the struggle to keep her off her toes is exhausting.

We find ourselves dealing with regular bouts of knee and foot pain (which no one can find a cause for) that I assume has something to do with her being on her toes all day long. I worry about her calves. I worry about her ankles. And to be honest, the worry is driving me crazy. And trust me when I say that it is driving her crazy too. Not because she doesn't want to be doing it, but because we nag her all day long. Our cries of "flat feet! flat feet! flat feet!" are usually met with a frustrating sort of a growl. Because she likes walking on her toes. She doesn't know why (or maybe her 5 year old mind doesn't understand why) she does it. She just knows it feels right. It feels normal. It feels good. So, why are we trying to stop her?

Well, because I worry that it will cause problems with her muscles and joints as they grow. I worry she'll end up in leg casts to stretch her heel chords. I worry it will mess up her hips somehow. And (as shallow as it may seem) I worry that other kids will make fun of her.

Don't misunderstand me. If I knew for sure that her toe walking wasn't going to hurt her physically in any way, I would let her continue doing it. I mean, it is how she walks, and like I said, to her it feels right. Imagine if someone told you to walk on your toes all day because that was normal? Imagine how difficult it would be for you because it would just feel so wrong. Because instinctively you walked in a heel-toe pattern. Imagine if you had to think about each and every step you took. Not so easy, right? She, like so many other on the spectrum, is such a trooper, and has an amazing spirit.


I've talked to several doctors about this, and they aren't too concerned about it right now, only saying that we should try to help her stay off her toes. For now, there are no physical problems that are a result of her toe walking. Except for my concerns that it might be responsible for her knee and foot pain. Hey, they can't find any other reason for the pain. So, for now we will try to keep her off her toes whenever we can.

And besides, I keep thinking she's taller than she really is.