Should I be concerned???

Boy*

My 3 year old does the same and I don’t think he’s autistic, this can be what’s called a positioning schema

I did this with my toys as a child and I’m not autistic I do have mild ocd though. My child does this, he just turned two

I actually thought lining up and organising toys was a normal part of development. I’m sure I’ve looked into that before x

What an odd thing to say to you. If that’s the only noticeable trait, I wouldn’t worry about it

I feel like everything a toddler does is now seen as an autistic trait... have you had any other worries about him been autistic? My 20 month old girl has started organising things and I have no concerns it can also just be a new skill. X

Its worrying that someone thought causing you concern over that is acceptable😬 Its often something a child with autism would do. However, it is also a very common play schema that a lot of children go through so based on that one thing, no I wouldn’t! If you as his parent have no concerns, don’t worry about it. Unless a professional/teacher brings up concerns with you, take no notice of comments like this

@Rachel I agree and babies! I have seen loads of parents on here questioning if their baby has autism for doing normal baby things. Its good that people are more educated on things but so quick to try to label normal stages as things sometimes😬

My little girl does this and it's normal,

My son has always done this and he’s not autistic I find that really odd that a stranger would say that don’t worry about it x

Not as an isolated thing. Only if you can then say yes for a few other things on the list.

This is a totally normal toddler behaviour as well though!

Does he get upset when you remove something from the order or change the positioning? That would be more of a signal then lining itself 😊

My son is autistic and he does this BUT just this alone does not mean your child is autistic. I wouldn't stress. Look for other signs as well like speech delay, spinning, toe walking, etc... lining toys up is fairly normal toddler behavior and that alone is not an indicator of autism.

@Becky this! What is wrong with people and their unsolicited advice.

It can be an autistic trait but if it’s the only trait he displays then it’s more than likely neurotypical development

My son is autistic and did that a lot but in an obsessive way and in an order over and over. It was definitely not the only trait.

It can be an autistic trait, but one autistic trait does not mean someone IS autistic.

It can be, but it’s also a very normal part of their development at this age 🙄 she’s just a crank x

@Parker 又 this is exactly what I was coming to say. Because if one trait was all it took there’d be a lot more diagnoses

@Ginny hi, he does spin around in a circle, but more like in a playful manner. He’s 20 months too, he can say 10 words - what do you think? X

My son is autistic however he was still doing it at age 3/4 and getting very upset when someone moved it. Speech I wouldn’t worry until they turn 2. Where are you based?

@Karen i am from Manchester in England x

@Zainab🗝️ what other traits does your son have too pls xx

yes it can be, but it can also just be a normal kid thing. monitor him over the next few months & see if there’s any other traits

If you’re concerned bring it up with your health visitor or wait until the two year check. If there is still a speech issue then ask for his hearing to be checked however from my experience they won’t do anything about it until age 3 however he is starting to talk. As others have said schema is a development phase. I wouldn’t dream of saying that to another parent.

It's so hard to say cause that can also be normal!! My son spins and shakes his head really fast but again, spinning is something most little kids do! If you are concerned you could talk to the Dr and see if they recommend an evaluation based on what you're seeing. Autism is a spectrum and can look different in different kids. Unfortunately we are in a time that everyone thinks they can diagnose autism without any credentials. I'm sure she meant no harm but don't let it get to you too much, read up on autism indicators and keep an eye on your kiddo, if you're concerned, talk to the Dr. Either way, you got this ❤️

Both my sons autism looks slightly different. Lots of vocal stims but they aren't actually words usually. Flappy arms. Pretty aggressive if you touch the lined up cars. For me I just knew no one else had to tell me.

My son lines up cars a lot and especially when he turned 2 it probably peaked. He has no indicators of autism. Now at 2 and 8 months he tends to put them in race formation.

You can't just look at one behaviour and call it autism.

My nephew used to do that and likes all his toys neat still now and he’s definitely not autistic so expect it’s only one aspect of it!

Google toddler schemas. They are an important and normal part of toddler development. Lining things up is part of the positioning one. The 9 schemas are: trajectory, positioning, transporting, connecting, transforming, rotating, enclosing, enveloping and orientation.

It seems everyone is a little autistic these days? Let's remain calm.

@Tara I know you don't mean it this way but saying that can be perceived as ableist because it's trivializing the lived experiences of real people. Reducing it down and being too casual about a neurodevelopmental disorder.

@Zainab🗝️ thank you I didn’t have the energy to even try engaging in that

@Parker 又 well you know me and my kids story. I can't let that slide or I'm going to leave my kids to deal with the same world I brought them into.

@Zainab🗝️ I do! I just wanted to say thank you so you heard it from someone other than just your kids one day 🫶🏼🫂

Abliest? Calm down. I'm just saying if a child is lining up hot wheels, it doesn't mean he's autistic. People seem to jump to diagnosis too quickly. It was different in my decade haha

@Tara we are all currently in the same decade. The only person who isn't calm is you and now I change my mind, you meant it that way. We are in the same age group and I have managed to learn new things, what a cop out.

My little boy has been doing this since he was 2, he’s 7 now and has been checked for autism and doesn’t have it when he learnt to talk he said that the cars were in traffic 😂 sometimes people read too much online and convince themself that they are a doctor