Is this a sign of autism?

….i don’t know. I mean we hear that a lot of kids with ASD do this but…It’s not 100%. I have 2 kids with autism and neither of them have ever done this, and we have a lot of hot wheels and monster trucks. In my very unprofessional opinion i would not chalk up this one thing to ASD. If you have a feeling your child is on the spectrum..go get him/her tested. It’s a lot easier than attempting to make a diagnosis through “tell tale sign”. Like my kids also didn’t freak out with loud sounds or avoid certain foods due to texture issues. They eat everything.

Not by itself. It’s a development stage called schema. It’s to do with working out shapes and problem solving. The issue is if he’s still doing it at 3/4 or gets very distressed when you move it.

My understanding is that if your LO does this in combination with other behaviours, then it’s a sign. Otherwise it’s just normal toddler behaviour.

My stepson is autistic he lines blocks up alllll day and if you mess his lines up he loses it

Not by itself. Autism is a constellation of symptoms, no one thing alone is a sign of autism. Kids line up toys it doesn't have to mean anything. Take notice and if other symptoms show up then talk about testing

As everyone else has said not if that’s the only sign no. It seems to be more of a boy thing when it comes to cars as well my cousins 4 and likes to like all of his monster trucks up but no other “signs” as such just something they like to do x

My brother used to do this and move every single one forward an inch or so, move to the next one and move forward and repeat etc to make them race. But all had to be in line. He was so specific with it! He also knew every single dinosaur name, what they ate, what noise they made etc and would get upset if someone used the wrong noise with the wrong dinosaur. But he grew out of it!

It’s not enough information to say. Many autistic kids do play like this but just because your child does doesn’t mean he’s autistic.

My toddler lines up all his vehicles too, everyday and night

Thanks everyone He gets very annoyed when one goes out of the straight line and does a lot of running around in circles during the day My nephew is 7 and non verbal and as it was during covid times my brother and wife were unable to have much early intervention which is all I’m trying to achieve Thanks so much for everyone’s comments 🤍

It’s called a schema

I don’t think so my son did this and he’s really organized and he’s 4 now and still lines up his paw patrol cars in a line and his hot wheels cars too

Both my kids do this with their toys and neither have autism

It's possible. You don't need a diagnosis to access support. Speak to your paediatrician or GP.

My boy is autistic and I knew it at a very early age- not everyone does the lining up thing but he did. Everytime id turn around something would be quickly lined up across the room and it always amazed me how quickly he’d do it. We went ABA route and it helped him with functional play so he no longer does this (he’s 6 now) but every now and then when stressed it’ll pop up- it’s more of a OCD thing for him I think. Doesn’t hurt to have your little one tested- keep note of other things and delayed/advanced milestones- Also- how does your little one react if you “mess up” the order and attempt to play with them? If he’s flexible maybe it’s just a phase but if it’s earth shattering maybe there’s more going on here.

@Jennie thanks so much for your reply! He does get annoyed if they get messed up. He also will only add a vehicle from the back of the line He then spends a lot of time just walking up and down looking at the line of cars before moving them one by one to another location in a line and usually in the same order He is extremely knowledgeable about vehicles for his age and knows what vehicle is coming when we’re out just by the sound it makes! xxx

Just on its own, no. But if there are a mixture of other things that concern you then possibly. My little boy used to like to line his cars up like that along the front of the TV, doesn't really do it any more

Does he prefer his own company and tap any parts of his body repeatedly? Fussy with food and texture?

@Michelle if we are in a room full of children, he would be the one playing alone with his little cars He doesn’t do any stimming that I can tell but is very fussy with food!

Sounds like he has some of the signs. I think children have to be 5 or older to get a diagnosis. Maybe book an appointment with the GP for a referral.

@Michelle it is possible to be diagnosed as a toddler, but you have to be a textbook very obvious case. Most providers are cautious with young children because so many of the behaviors are developmentally appropriate for all kids until a certain point, and social behaviors are not well developed in many young kids. They don't want to falsely diagnose a child who is going to grow out of the behaviors. So it often ends up with 'he has some signs, but we should watch and wait to see how he develops'. If you feel there is enough evidence for an evaluation, then I would recommend finding someone who specializes in childhood neurodivergence. Not all psychologists are well versed in children or autism and it can be more difficult if they are not as familiar with it.

I'd suggest that the age of diagnosis could vary by country. Often in the UK it's later for various reasons. Lining up cars, even beyond 3 is not necessarily a sign. My 4 year old does it because they are waiting to go through a car wash. Have you involved yourself in the game to understand the purpose behind it? I'd add that food fussiness at 2 is also very normal.

Potentially yes, but it's absolutely not a guarantee. If that's the only thing that's concerning then probably not ASD, if it's one thing on a long list then ASD is much more likely