Why do autistic people toe walk?

[@tamsolo1584]

I do this but I always associated it with not wanting anything from the floor sticking to my feet while maintaining the comfort of being barefoot. Also, I grew up in an abusive home and made it my mission to learn how to walk silently.

[@chat4538]

You too? My dad would actually beat my sibling and I if we walked too loud.

[@tiggerdcat]

As did I. I *hate* , like absolutely abhor getting my feet dirty! I have very sensitive feet, so things that would cause mild pain to one person is excruciating to my feet. Also, my dad was an asshat and worked various night shifts so we all had to be *really* quiet around the house or there would be severe trouble! I figured these were all the reasons I toe walked, but I also remember my ballet teacher smacking me on the butt with her baton, telling me to "TUCK, you idiot, TUCK!" And I'd cry out in pain and explain I _was_ tucking, tucking as hard as I could, and from my point of view, there was considerable change in my hip posture, so I thought I was doing it perfectly, but apparently not! One day she walked by, paused, backed up to me, grabbed me by the crotch and yanked my crotch forward yelling "TUCK, TUCK, TUCK"! That was my last day. I didn't tell my mom why I quit, just that I did. I was tired of being yelled at, hit and manhandled over something I had no control over. My turnout was perfect, though, and I could go on point better than anyone else. I used to walk around on my toes, like ON MY TOES, barefoot, and it disturbed many.

[@sloanekuria3249]

yeah it's the silent walking for me, people say I should wear a bell

[@tiggerdcat]

@@sloanekuria3249 I scare the crap out of my son all the time! He said I should wear taps and or bells or something and threatened to hide my inhaler so he'd at least hear me wheezing. I hid his xbox controller for even thinking about it.

[@emilysnyder4857]

😂 I have thought about similar things. I like being barefoot and only having to clean the toes in my bathroom sink at night. Funny how we justify what makes us different with perfectly efficient reasons. When you walk on eggshells a lot you find ways to keep it from sticking.

[@Tstumpman]

My daughter is autistic, and when you did that forward shift of the hips i immediately recognized it in her posture.

[@loreleijenn]

I'm Autistic and immediately felt I was looking in the mirror. I literally was like wait... what?!

[@user-mn8lz7gf6d]

definitely consult a doctor, it could negatively impact her health pretty severely

[@Nzargnalphabet]

Wait... why does this feel familiar

[@Lulu-mj2fi]

​@@user-mn8lz7gf6d thank you for saying this! Would yoy maybe mind explaining a little bit if how it can impact our health and possibly what I should say to my doctor to help them understand my concerns and take me seriously? Docs where I am in the US are not properly educated because the system wants sick ppl to stay sick.

[@myoldaimsnwastaken]

"Curing-not autism because there is nothing to cure..." Thank you. I know this wasn't the point of the video, but this was so validating to hear.

[@Fallen-Saint]

well..we can cure or fix it, just gotta put the right weirs in the right place, since it's not the stranded we can make it normal.

[@HiIAmGabe]

​@@Fallen-SaintCould you try to articulate yourself better? Are you autistic? Autism in itself is not a medical disability. It describes a different way of thinking and processing. The disability is mostly of social nature since the majority of people are neurotypical and therefore the society is build for them. However, there are of course people with independent co-morbidities that can result in more drastic disabilities.

[@GedanJ]

​@@Fallen-Saint"make it normal", what exactly is the "normal"? I genuinely am curious about that, as it is mentioned a lot♡

[@user-hn4zn9nx3c]

@@Fallen-Saint autistic people aren't cars, you can't just go into their brain and rewire them, pretty sure they tried that with lobotomies and it did NOT go well at all..

[@SeeMyEvil]

​@@Fallen-Saintthere is no such thing as normal. But there is such a thing as common. Norman plies that someone is not normal while common implies that that's just happens more often.

[@AJansenNL]

Oh my, this explains so much about my bad posture, toe walking, flat feet, neck pain, digestive issues. I'm not sure if I'm autistic yet, but this sure fits the pattern!

[@grummelameise]

thinking youre autistic because of digestive problems is hella stoopid. maybe you shouldnt eat things that make you pass gas excessivly, or give you stomach cramps. and yeah, stomach cramps influence your posture and thus your neck pain. could also be that you just need some more sceletal muscle that holds you upright. well, if you want some advice: autistic or not, the most common digestive irritant is grains and legumes (peanuts, beans, lentils). after that, its dairy. after that, its seed oils. so, if you want to try something, do this: quit eating eating grains and all forms of dairy for two weeks. the effects will be apparent in the fourth day, if you are intolerant in some way. grains is everything that grows on a gras like stalk, that includes rice. ok, i hope you can doe something for your stomach, and maybe you are autistic, but thats not a valid reason to continue to suffer, when you can jsut stop eating things that make your stomach hurt. good luck!

[@kiiyll]

@@grummelameise That's weird, because I have had almost the opposite experience. I used to have a lot of digestive problems, but I stopped eating meat(and other animal products, including dairy, which you do state is bad), and started eating more nuts and lentils for their protein content, as well as more rice as it's easy to cook, and I never had those issues again. Lentils are especially great, as they have a lot of fiber, which most people lack. Also, I often cook with peanut oil, sunflower seed oil, and olive oil, and have never had any problems with that. I would like to suggest however that anyone reading this does not just take advice from youtube comments, or even youtube videos, but instead looks into their dietary choices by reading (and comprehending) well-researched scientific papers and meta-analyses on dietary habits.

[@HashtagTheKate]

These arent just ASD. Please do not take medical advice from KZbin. 💜

[@tiggerdcat]

​@@grummelameise You could have said that in a totally different manner and it would have gotten your point across WAY better. Calling someone stupid only makes one want to push back against whatever it is you are trying to suggest or push onto them. You _could_ have been giving good advice, but the _way_ you did it was *absolutely abhorrent!* Perhaps you can try this thing _I_ do when making comments. I type it out, re-read it to check for typos either I or my phone has decided for me and, especially if it's longer, gives advice, or tells something about myself, or if my response is heated and/or in the heat of the moment, I'll sit on it for 5 to 10 minutes until I've had time to _really_ think over my response and how people might _take_ said response. Then I'll go _back_ over it, make changes where and if necessary and _then_ press send. It makes for more readable comments and less antagonistic ones as well. I hope this helps you and finds you feeling well. Cheers! ✌️😸🖖

[@AJansenNL]

I won't call you stupid, because I don't know you and I've only read a single KZbin comment, but maybe you might consider that there's more to my suspicion to being autistic than just this tiny bit. You know a pattern does not consist of just one piece, right? Which, btw, I alluded to in my comment, @@grummelameise. And no, I don't want your unsolicited advice. Like I don't know you, you don't know me. You don't know anything of my journey regarding any of my health issues, including any digestive ones. So, please consider that, before you make a similar mistake with another internet stranger. Thanks and good luck!

[@MrianLP]

Is it not also caused by sensory issues and dyspraxia making it so you don't (want to) impact with your heels when you walk? If I walk heel-toe without shoes its a lot more impact, and thus jarring for my whole body (I'm not slamming my heels down). While toe walking the rest of my body doesn't jerk as much with each step. You get more fine control with each step, as it feels more "bouncy", instead of a straight impact with the heel. At least this is my perspective and why I toewalk.

[@tiggerdcat]

There's more control, less body trauma, more bounce, as you say, and more swivel for easier and quicker turning! There are reasons the Native Americans, and others like them, walk this way. It's also very quiet and makes less vibration on the ground, so you leave less impact on the area and are less likely to scare off the wildlife.

[@imageword5576]

I think that's different. Our feet aren't supposed to strike the ground completely flat (from heel to toes). That's bad mechanics. We are supposed to put most of our weight on the "balls" of our feet, so that our calves/achilles tendon can absorb most of our weight like a spring, instead of it all crashing onto the heel of our foot.

[@tiggerdcat]

@@imageword5576 Common walking gate has the heel hitting the ground and rounding to the ball, running, however, looks more like what you describe. I walk toe to heel, because I'm weird and it's quieter. ✌️😸🖖

[@victoriab8186]

I think this explains why I *sometimes* toe-walk as an adult, because it generally aligns with when I’m feeling overstimulated and trying to make my heels go first I’m hyperaware of the impact force; I think the tension and pelvic tilt could explain why I toe-walked as a child, when it was just how I walked until a relative with experience with kids with developmental issues came to live with us - at this point I started walking to school with them, and they made me practise walking heel-toe up and down the hill to school. This felt really really wrong at first, but given what I know now about how much regularly going for a walk reduces my stress levels, combined with the physical practise of heel-toe, it would make sense (to me) that this would have reduced tension issues to enable me to walk more heel-toe, at the same time as reinforcing heel-toe as the ‘correct’ way to walk. Sometimes I wish they hadn’t changed my gait, as maybe it would have made it easier to get a diagnosis, but this is almost certainly projection (and it doesn’t help that my parents categorically denied that I’d ever toe-walked until I convinced them about the amount of time I spent working on it with this relative - makes me wonder what other developmental things from earlier ages they just didn’t notice or forgot)

[@MPostma72]

@@tiggerdcat That's because we all wear stiffsoled footwear. You walk different barefoot then you do with shoes on, because of the sole of your shoe.

[@rcjdeanna5282]

My granddaughter walked on tiptoe rather severely and my daughter put her through tests and doctors. I managed to get her to a stable and learn to ride, making her keep her heels down in the stirrups and giving her a wonderful exercise. Today she is a horse rehab therapist and continues to ride. The problem corrected itself in a year.

[@InAHollowTree]

Learning with the horses probably helped a lot with correction too, I'm thinking, based on what this guy in the video said about stress and the nervous system exacerbating the problem. Being around animals is a great stress reliever for those of us who like them. Having her learn riding was a great idea!

[@hettiesimpson]

I love this 😀

[@calleythompson2781]

I have autism and I toe walked. My parents got me riding lessons (ended up being Saddleseat which is one of the styles that emphasizes posture and heels down) when I was 5 because I liked horses. I got my first pony a few years later and was in lessons multiple times a week for years and I was on a competitive team in college. I still toe walk as a grown adult. Was your daughter Autistic?

[@GiraffeFlavored]

@@calleythompson2781It sounds like probably not, people in these comments apparently didn't watch the first like 30 seconds where he pointed out that non-autistic people can toe walk. So many people are like "Well I did this, but then I did yoga and it went away 😊" Then you're probably not autistic, you were doing this for some other reason Jennifer.

[@lightbox617]

more people should be aware of the benefits that learning to ride horses has for eveything from depression, PTSD to autism

[@goverlord]

I used to get beaten for this and made to press my back against the wall for hours. I always assumed the tiptoe was me trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to be noticed.

[@ericah6546]

That's awful. I'm sorry you went though that!

[@ewap789]

Horrendous. So many autistic folks have post traumatic symptoms and it can be hard to differentiate what is autistic and what is post traumatic. For a long time I thought my difficulties with work were due to being bullied by a parent as a child over homework. In fact I have executive functioning issues and have had them all along, which now explains the actual reason for my struggling with homework. And the inadapted parental response to that just probably didn't help.

[@BeeWhistler]

Like we don’t have enough issues! Being raised by ignorant… or in your case apparently, psychotic… parents, doesn’t help. Did they also beat you for blotting your copybook? Man, what horrible people, I’m sorry you had to deal with them.

[@goverlord]

@@BeeWhistler I dunno what a copybook is, but they would scream at me that I would have a "fat a$$" and slap and punch me in the stomach if it stuck out.

[@Lycantis]

I was lucky to have my mother take me away from my father. But they did something akin to this in ABA. I now suffer PTSD. If I get overwhelmed, I lose control and I will scratch or bite someone if they are abusing me. It's a reaction so I really can't do anything about it, but bullies are mostly afraid of me because archers have great muscle tone and look like they could pop someone's head with little effort. Archery also helps with full body tone and loosing an arrow into the bullseye is very theraputic. One of the best sports for stress and muscle therapies all in one if you do it right! I still toe walk, but I don't have the digestive issues anymore after I became a nutrition specialist and learned fitness and chiropractics. I actually did learn about the nervous system problems (advanced sciences--expensive, woof). So I can effectively take care of myself without having to change my posture much. Plus, I have these pads on my feet that force me to stand on the balls of my feet. When they are flat on the ground, it presses on the pads on the outsides of my pinky toes and causes immense pain radiating up my entire back all the way to the top of my head. I am so sorry you had to go through this. My father didn't do this, but he was so abusive that everything I did was a game of roulette, and I practically walked on eggshells. My mother got me and my sisters away from him early on, thank goodness. I hope you are doing much better in your life now.

[@paulis7319]

As a person who's lived through a decade+ of physical therapy instruction, and a current student of physical therapy (premed), this seven minutes completely explained what I've learned through painful experience and training, and only recently figured out the "secret" being a full body workout with focus on areas of weakness. Even with deteriorating spine with narrowing spinal cord in my cervical spine, and a few herniations, I've finally become mostly pain free and walk correctly again.

[@jennenny87]

Wait, so are you saying all you did was do a regular full body workout, like at the gym, but with extra focus on the weak area? Because he makes it sound like there's some kind of weird crazy therapies and major lifestyle changes involved?

[@paulis7319]

@@jennenny87 Not at the gym, I workout at home with home built equipment, specifically tailored to my body and very simple. But it's still a full body workout.

[@beangorl7005]

​@@jennenny87Both can be true. General workouts could help resolve some symptoms, but more indepth techniques from a professional can also address more specialized issues

[@notamouse5630]

Yes, this is why I deteriorated after going from rock climber to engineer. I currently have bad posture from too little hanging from my arms and not enough getting stretched. That and a torn hamstring from too much sitting and an inflamed leg and home physical therapy without the strong anti-inflammatories I no doubt needed. 3 years later I finally get given an oral COX2 inhibitor and a steroid and magic, pain goes away mostly. Free advice to you, if the patient has severe enough inflammation in their leg despite good health with poor exercise, give them a COX2 inhibitor, and don't tell them to do the single leg glute arch until they can do the double leg glute arch a hundred times every other day for 2 weeks. Single leg glute arch with no anti-inflammatories tore my hamstring. I do a sit down job sitting on 8 inches of padding and have a standing desk before 30 because of all that. COX2 inhibitor is Generally worth the risk in someone young enough.

[@paulis7319]

@@alephnulI I wish I knew the answer to that. The spectrum of autism is huge and every person's experience is different.

[@teaganisokey8190]

Showing this to my pt, I am currently being forced to do therapy in order to get a diagnosis. You'd think it would be the other way around but insurance companies are stupid.

[@tiggerdcat]

That's... really weird! Yes, very backwards indeed!

[@KH-rt3ef]

Not backwards. That’s how they recognize fraudulent applicants. It’s for evidence compilation.

[@NanaWilson-px9ij]

Insurance companies are evil.

[@tiggerdcat]

@@NanaWilson-px9ij Truly! In the dictionary, next to the word "Satan" is a little photo and descriptor of an insurance agency. I believe the photo is of that duck, you know... afquack, or whatever.

[@BeeWhistler]

@@tiggerdcatPure evil, yeah. They never miss a trick to force you, or someone else, to pay instead.

[@FlorescentInk]

A lot of people must have anterior tilt, because figure drawing art classes actually teach you to draw the tilt. I always thought it was accurate/natural/default, and had no idea that it's supposed to be parallel to the ground.

[@KrayZJoy]

My 2 Life Drawing classes did not teach me to draw the tilt as if it was normal. I only drew it if I saw it. Maybe your models (and possibly teacher) had the tilt and thoughtit was normal or aesthetic. I always admired our models and felt they were brave to do what they did (or exhibitionists), but had amazing body control to hold some of the wildest poses without even a tremble as we worked.

[@tiggerdcat]

You could have been getting the tilt from old 50s-60s manuals that always showed women in heels. Any woman in heels will tilt. Just a thought, anyway.

[@steam_junk]

something like what @tiggerdcat said. I also think it could be because having an arched back is considered,, like, aesthetically pleasing by some artists.

[@tiggerdcat]

@@steam_junk I have an old "how to draw" book and I can confirm, apparently they thought women's feet stayed the same shape when they took _off_ the heels as they did when they had them _on_! All nude drawings of women had pointed toes... and pointed tits, because apparently gravity didn't exist, either.

[@vinny985]

a little tilt is normal, the ribcage and hip bones naturally tilt forward and out but it’s not supposed to be very noticeable in a relaxed posture, when you’re drawing anatomy and poses though you usually want to accentuate the natural forms of the body to make the art look and flow better :D

[@crackers0413]

did this as a kid until people made fun of me so bad that I stopped. no one in the family asked doctors about it, but did bring up leg shaking, which was chalked up to "nerves"

[@tiggerdcat]

Oh, leg shaking is part of it, too? I do that all the time, but had to force myself to hold still or I'd get whacked by my mom for "fidgeting". So much of my "fidgeting" I'm now realizing was just a assumption of either ADHD, Autism, or the issues those caused my body! I'm now wondering if my chronic use of sitting criss cross applesauce was part of that as well. It hurts to sit regular, but I can sit cross legged for longer, but it weirds people out.

[@HighNoone]

​@@tiggerdcatcriss cross applesauce😂 unironically u said that. How can I express my cringe without calling you a loser?

[@tiggerdcat]

@@HighNoone I have children, fuck you.

[@MewMiyuu]

@@HighNooneimagine thinking someone is a “loser” bc they said a certain phrase

[@HighNoone]

@@MewMiyuu how about calling a girl "mommy" or "queen" lmao there's many phrases that make one a loser.

[@sarahjensen2473]

I never had luck with professionals helping me, but have improved my posture with the cue to “ground” when I stand, instead of “stand up tall.” I also had to loosen the muscles that were pulling me into a curved shape. That, and losing 4 inches of bloat from the gluten in my diet so my abs could actually work, has done more than all the official treatments I’ve tried. I find that doing childlike movements, with lots of crouching, squatting, and funny stretching helps me feel my body more and improves my proprioception, too.

[@luciatheron1621]

I designed my garden to force me into child-like positions and movements. . It makes me flexible and strong.

[@sarahjensen2473]

@@luciatheron1621That sounds wonderful! I can’t really garden where I live, but I volunteer cleaning up and removing invasive plants in a nearby park, and it gives me an incentive and excuse. I hope your garden has a great year!

[@dntskdnttll]

@@luciatheron1621How did you do it? Please share.

[@nathanjw940]

My sensory overload leads to heartburn my first sign is hiccups and exhaustion from an overactive nervous system. I toe walk when it's definitely worse and do lean forward

[@davidstyles1654]

Same

[@nataliegist2014]

So are you telling me that hiccups are a sign of autism?

[@nathanjw940]

@@nataliegist2014 no but if it's sensory for me it comes in an overly sensory environment and the moment I leave it goes away

[@Lycantis]

@@nataliegist2014Other way around. Nervous instability can induce autonomic and sympathetic nervous tics including in the diaphragm in autistics. Stress especially triggers this, unlike normal hiccups which have no exact cause, but there are some criteria in which the cause is known, like being too full or drinking alcohol. So while most hiccups have a specific cause or none at all, the autistic is specifically developing them from excessive stress to the nervous system. Think of it as the diaphragm having a seizure, which seizure disorders are very common in autistics.

[@cecilyerker]

@@nataliegist2014my dad and I both are autistic and our signs of stress are hiccups and acid reflux

[@atlanticjem2012]

Wow... I want more info on how I can help the kids I work with! I'm a nanny for kids with special needs; mostly autism. For years I've been expected to take kids to various therapies. Yet parents have often said I accomplish more with their kids than these therapists who they've been seeing for years. I'm now learning that I have autism. And the methods I've used for helping kids are simply what I've naturally figured out works best for each kid from my own experience and from getting to know each kid individually and what they need help with. None of the ones I've worked with (nor myself) have necessarily been toe walkers. But I've watched therapists working with kids who have that and as much as I didn't have a better suggestion, I have always felt their methods were just plain wrong, if not downright torturous. Basically just trying to force the kids' feet to touch the ground and move normally. Often with weights or some sort of device to force their feet into the "right" shape. I always had trouble watching. Now I feel I have something to go on to at least speak up if one of my nanny kids ever has that issue and the parents are looking for help with it. Thank you for that. I'm no therapist. And I always tell every parent before I work for them that I have zero special training for working with special needs kids. But I've got 14 years of success in helping kids grow and develop at their own pace and building on whatever skills they were ready to improve on. And I'm constantly trying to learn as much as I can so that I'm not hindering kids in any way or adding any more problems to their already complicated lives. My goal is just to help in any way I can.

[@robokill387]

That's because most of these therapists are uninterested in why these kids are doing what they're doing, a lot of medical professionals just explain it with non answers like "they do it because they're autistic." Which is circular thinking and doesn't explain anything, essentially othering the kids by just putting it down as happening for no reason.

[@GhostIntoTheFog]

@atlanticjem2012 Just as an FYI, “special needs” is considered a slur by many in the Autistic and wider disabled community. The term suggests that a disabled person’s needs are extraordinary or burdensome. Disabled needs are human needs, and teaching a child to refer to their disability with respect (specifically by referring to them simply as “disabled” or “Autistic”) is critically important. From what you describe, the children you cared for who were forced to walk “the right way” were probably subjected to applied behavior analysis (ABA). Breaking an Autistic child of toe-walking (and traumatizing them in the process) is a common ABA practice.

[@judithvorster2515]

@@GhostIntoTheFog Oh. I was actually under the impression that the term 'special needs' was the more sensitive and respectful replacement of 'disabled'?

[@welder1357]

Thank you for your dedication and hard work. I'm certain that you immerse yourself in as much education as possible. Thankfully the internet information is getting better every day. KZbin and similar sources make it possible individuals with busy hands can get tidbits of great studies. Unfortunately There are many individuals who spend all their time in the comments and news feeds? Trying to justify their existence. When all they really need to do is put some gloves on their precious little hands, mask-up and dive head first into a room full of kids that have tons of needs. I might be old fashioned but the little ones I love and serve. I call them special. Each one has a very important view point, a unique perspective. I can't imagine saying, "I keep disabled kids"

[@audreydoyle5268]

​@@judithvorster2515 I am a disabled person. I rather get the discription of what impacts my day to day out in the open than make it sound like I have to one, remind you I am in fact a person with "person first language" (person with a disability), and two, that my disability is a carry on I take with me, it isn't, it is a part of me. It does define my experience, therefore by extension defines me, and causes me to express my human needs differently. Some find them to be an inconvenience because they assume the default way of fulfilling needs are just needs, whereas the support I need is put in a whole other basket called "special needs". I still need sleep, water, food, affection, education. I just need it differently. One thing I've noticed about highly ableist (not calling you that, my step father was) people is that they are the first to call you difficult, rather than different and being just fine with that. Just like how the neurotypical perspective of autistic PDA (NT: Pathological Demand Avoidance) strips autistic people of their natural desire for agency, we much prefer the term Persistent Drive for Autonomy. "Special needs" is a slur because it holds the connotation that disabled people's needs are harder to fulfill because our society was built by NTs who could control the systems to work in only their favour (the whole "bootstraps" mentality), not in an equitable manner for all. Our needs aren't special, they're difficult to fulfill because of lacking/limited system support structures. Looking at the needs of disabled people as "special" very much looks at disability through the medical model lens, which again, strips away our agency, because it appears as though our needs will always be difficult to fulfill. Through the social model lens of disability, we come to the understanding that needs aren't being met across the board, because our society do not mandate full equity.

[@kestrelpounces]

Late-diagnosed in my 50’s, toe-walked from my first steps. Possible I was that stressed, but was at one point told some of us do it to improve stability to compensate for dyspraxia. However, I have a pelvic tilt, toe walk when exhausted, occasional severe back spasms, and so much stress related neck and shoulder tension that I temporarily developed neuropathy in my hands from nerve compression, so your explanation makes so much more sense!! Physical therapy has helped a lot (mostly heat and stretching)- your video is a good argument for making sure I do this routinely, not just when more obviously symptomatic! I very much enjoyed your simplified (but detailed? 🙃) summary! AuDHD’s presenting deep dives and special interests to other AuDHD’s sounds like such a glorious use of KZbin! 👍

[@eveningprimrose3088]

I have swayback (lordosis) and have noticed for a long time that in order to stay upright when standing I have to put more weight on the front of my feet, and this causes me to have a "pitched forward" look. Now I know why! I also have become convinced in the past four years or so that I am autistic. I had no idea at all until the past few months that certain body postures were related to autism, including lordosis, kyphosis, and scoliosis. I love it when pieces start fitting together and making a discernable picture. Edit: I also used to stand on the outer edges of my feet a lot. That also seems to mitigate the leaning forward.

[@emilysnyder4857]

😮, I have scoliosis and Kyphosis as well. I was born borderline Spina Bifida. I have gone for 50 years not making this connection that I had needs. They just called me a retard in the 70's, but they called lots of kids that. I'm only now starting to put the missing pieces of the puzzle together and figure out what parts are my personality and what traits are untreated medical challenges. I wish I had neuromuscular therapy back then. Because my spine is really bad now with inflammation.

[@AnkhAnanku]

I walk on my toes or on the blades of my feet but my hips do the opposite. I tuck my pelvis way under me and suck my butt in, and that makes my feet turn more outward like a duck. I’m always barefoot and pretty flexible so that might have something to do with it. If I pay attention and turn my feet forward my hips and butt go back behind me and the weight goes slightly more to the blade of my foot than the sole. That might be because of the shape of my ankles or the balance of my muscles or something. My toe walking comes from me either not wanting to make sounds when I walk (sensitive ears) or not wanting to step on or drag my pant legs on the ground (again, weird hips). That could totally be an autistic thing, but not at all for reasons the guy in the video is saying.

[@ThisIsATireFire]

On the topic of unexpected things related to autism, there is a suspected connection between autism and Ehlers-Danlos.

[@donnacarter9090]

Thank you, I sometimes toe walk but mostly I lean heavily on the sides of my feet, I think to help my keep my balance

[@eveningprimrose3088]

I did that a lot when I was young too. All these weird little pieces coming together to make a discernable picture is great!

[@donnacarter9090]

I'm in my 50s :-)

[@ericah6546]

Me too. It makes the calf muscle tone deteriorate so I've been working in correcting it now and doing leg exercises. I started as a kid to avoid, cold floors, rough carpets, my brother's Leo's(!), and rocks and gravel outside.

[@kestrel4521]

Holy crap, the sweat. It's lije he just got off a treadmill

[@ShawnF6FHellcat]

Umm... I- I think you may have just solved the issues plaguing my body for the last 10 years of my life... I'm 24 in 10 days, and I'm nearly completely dependent because I physically can't handle any type of work for any length of time... I'm literally tearing up in shock right now at finding out this this information. I've been riding dangerously close to the line of giving up for so long now, and finally, finally I may have an answer... Thank you! Thank you so much for making this video!!!

[@Proud_Knight]

This is bittersweet. On one hand this ties so many things together that I've been experiencing my whole life in some cases, and more recently in others. This not only confirms a lot of things I already thought but helps to explain some of the ways I've been suffering for several years now with no one able to tell me what is wrong with me. I can't even function as a human being most days and this all but told me exactly what I need to do to fix it. On the other hand, it confirms that I can't fix it without somehow fixing my financial problems first, when my financial problems essentially require me to fix my health first. It's a catch-22... My health is locked behind a catch-22...

[@MontajBlaze]

Take his advice with a pinch of salt. There is little research on this compared to the research affirming trunk strengthening is key. He may have other unique factors thst makes it the case for him, but sadly it is being interpretes as 'universal' for autism in this video. Trunk strengthening helps me and I would not so careessly steer people away from something that could help them just cause a guy on youtube does a quirky Tik Tok style video on it. But who am I, just another guy on youtube! In short, keep at the research yourself, seek help if you can(I know you mentioned finances), and take baby steps towards things that you know can help.

[@FloatingSpark]

This is amazingly insightful and explains SO much, thank you!! I was perplexed however by the statement that autistic and adhd people are more stressed due to ableism in society. Of course that is a cause, but speaking as someone with both conditions I can assure you that it is both the nature and the reaction to the symptoms that causes this stress far more than anything! They both have elements of hyperactive/hypersensitive nervous system feautures, experincing things more intensely, like lights being too bright, sound being too loud and even painful (same with the lights), body sensations being felt more acutely. This naturaly leads to a much higher state of stress!! This is why autistics have "meltdowns", non autistics may get to such a point eventually when exposed to intense stress, but for autistics basic life experiences can be felt so intensely as to potentially trigger a meltdown.

[@HaShomeret]

I cannot believe I stumbled onto this video just from like the algorithm. I counsel parents with special Ed children and before this all I knew was "toe walking, pt eval" I am so so greatful for this information and will spread it to parents and therapists right away!

[@arc4705]

Whaaaaaat?? I have always stood a little funny, I would get poked at for standing with my tummy out and even now, students think I'm pregnant cuz I'm fat and stand with my back shaped like this > LOL. I also frequently experience lower back pain/chronic trapezius muscle spasms. I had no idea those things could even be connected... Also even though it's simplified, I appreciate when you do go into detail! I learn best when topic-specific vocabulary is used (: Which seems backwards from everyone else, but in my head, those words/phrases/explanations/etc were made to explain specific concepts and so they're useful!!

[@aka.roryyy]

a girl in hs literally bullied me by asking if i was pregnant (i was maybe 15?) i was like "...no?" in elementary school, it was being pigeon toed that was the target. funny (by "funny" i mean "not at all funny, but actually quite traumatic,) how i'm 45 & just now realising i was bullied in school for being autistic.

[@Lycantis]

@@aka.roryyy Awww, that's horrible! People are horrid. I would have loved to be in a school specifically for autistics, even inclusive of the level 3's who cannot speak. I get along better with my own. Allistics and neurotypicals are very difficult to understand and are often the witch hunt types who cannot tolerate anything different than themselves.

[@WobblesandBean]

I get the same thing. I have a very curved spine, makes my butt look great but my back hurts and my stomach sticks out pretty far.

[@WobblesandBean]

​@@aka.roryyy It was the same for me. I was bullied so viciously that I developed PTSD, the things those kids did would have had them charged with multiple felonies had they been adults. They are why I don't do very well around children even to this day.

[@PlasticSinks]

woah! this is fascinating!! The way it all stems and cascades from the nervous system, I had no idea.

[@tayzonday]

This is so helpful. You explain so much of my orthopedic life here.

[@gorillaguerillaDK]

Speaking as a Manual Therapist and Physical Trainer, who work at a Physiotherapy Clinic - I can say that there are absolutely some of us who aware of this, it’s just that there isn’t much to find in regards to valid studies published in reliable and widely respected journals - from the articles I’ve read there is a wide range of suggestions to why some of us are toe-walkers. Let me stress, I’m not saying you’re wrong, just that some of us need more than anecdotes before pushing it on patients! The problem with assuming it originates in sympaticus and it then causes a misalignment (that also cause IBD and other issues), is that we know so many cases where people have absolutely terrible alignment but doesn’t suffer any serious symptoms from it! Now of course, it’s possible that there are other aspects at play in these cases, it’s possible their Foramen Intervertebralis is slightly larger than average, that their connective tissue has a slightly different composition, or something else… What you advocate for here isn’t unreasonable, it’s just not really proven with any high level of certainty, and I honestly find it a bit off putting! You would get much more respect from someone like me by making it clear that this is a thesis - and by mentioning studies that back it up! When you don’t do that, you come off as just another quack who care only for anecdotal testimonials, and I hope that isn’t the case, so I subscribed to your channel - also because while I might criticize aspects of your presentation, it still fits into some of my personal ideas - but there’s just a huge difference between beliefs and scientifically based treatment protocols!

[@poke-talia268]

There's also connective tissue disorders which are often comorbid with autism. They can weaken your ligaments, so your muscles overly contract to make up for them. Connective tissue disorders can also create digestive issues. Basically, a lot of the same or similar symptoms to what he describes with the sympathetic nervous system. I just think it's fascinating how much all of it connects.

[@gorillaguerillaDK]

@@poke-talia268 Yes, indeed, EDS and HDS has a higher occurrence in people with ASD, ADHD, and Tourette Syndrome. Since there are a certain level of inheritance involved in all of them, it’s possible some of the same genes can be involved, but as it’s not, everyone who have a full bingo plate, it indicates that there are several variations of genes at play! Now of course, there’s also the possibility that they’re not directly connected, but it is interesting that the Venn diagram looks different in regards to EDS and Neurodivergents and then EDS and Neurotypical.

[@carriehazel77]

Snippy, aren't you

[@suicideshy451]

I'm going to be so honest this comment just sounds like "me no likey your opinion me doctor with big degree and this hurty" I think it's obvious to say that autism as a whole is under studied. And that he can't have any studies to back up his idea. I don't think he can be any more obvious he is just giving his thoughts. There isn't anything he should change about this post honestly it's amazingly well thought out and easy to understand. You genuinely just sound bruised by this post man. Maybe you don't like people sharing their thoughts on things you like so much? And there is another reason you made this comment? I'm not you so I don't know but it reads really "nooo me PT me!!" It's not something you gotta defend online bro. You can see the comments here and find this video no one was confused but it actually brought together all of us with autism and everyone is sharing their experiences with this posture and their trauma related to it or their children with it etc. unwind a bit bro.

[@gorillaguerillaDK]

@@suicideshy451 And I'm going to be completely honest, your comment is something of the worst butthurt I've seen in a long time. Asking if someone has any form of valid research to put behind their statements is how we grow out understanding. If you had actually bothered to read my comment, I even made it clear that I don't completely dismiss the thesis he presents, not at all. Now maybe he isn't able, or willing to present anything but his beliefs, although he at no time makes it clear that we are watching a video where he talk about his beliefs. In fact, he makes statements regarding cause and effect in biomechanics, pathology, and physiolog, in a manner where anyone who isn't caught up in a mindset of junk-science would know that it's expected that one can present more than just personal beliefs and anecdotes. Heck, in my comment I even let it be known that I get why it can be hard to prove every statement he made, because there's such a high number of factors at play. Why it somehow made your butt hurt so much that you felt the need to write your comment, that's for the gods of the multiverse or any realm of fantasy, to know - because the "rationale" you put into your comment is honestly, well, how do I say it politely - guess I have a hard time finding any polite way of writing completely unhinged and so insanely self centered that I almost feel I have to ask you if you're okay....

[@kriskossack7231]

I have just been given up by a physical therapist for the 3 time since I didn’t show improvement. My god, so much of what you’re talking about fits. I have a meeting with my spine and pain specialist soon, I will definitely bring this up when I talk to him. Thank you for posting this video!

[@EvilSnips]

OMG I literally do both toe walking and anterior tilt forward. That's crazy, I had no idea it was my autism.

[@JAGUARBURST]

I haven't been diagnosed but now I think it could be my ADHD. And I have so much back pain. 😭

[@trajectoryunown]

Why doesn't this have over a million views by now? This was greatly informative and has valuable information for many people, not even just concerning autism.

[@toxihex876]

This makes a lot of sense to me since I've been heavily toe walking all my life and I do have neck pain, but thing is, to me it just feels natural. It does give some motion benefits that typical walking does not and it's way more comfortable to me. While I do agree with everything in the video, I think this type of walking is also intuitive for a reason and it has great benefits in certain types of terrain.

[@AlexShiro]

I didn’t have the medical jargon to describe this but essentially articulated the links in this earlier in my life but outside formal education it isn’t heard. Great video.

[@SpydrXIII]

i LOVE your in depth way of explaining the science behind how stuff works. it really helps me accept with all my weirdness.

[@strigiformthunderstorm]

Can you suggest which types of specialist someone should go to in order to actually get taken seriously and properly treated? I've been struggling with extreme chronic pain for years and no matter how much I try to advocate for myself it just gets brushed off. My health is really taking a nosedive. Fantastic content and very in line with my understanding of the neurological aspect of my own conditions (I'm also autistic if it counts but autism, cptsd, and chronic health conditions often go together(, thanks for the video

[@jeremyandrewdavis]

This has been my struggle! Before I found my NMT I saw dozens and dozens of specialists. My NMT has tried to find others who are also good that he can recommend and even people within his field have been problematic. I wish I had some I could recommend!

[@SK-jq8um]

Look for myofascial release therapy, it retrains your nervous system.

[@RobinTalksRocks]

Are there at home treatments or exercises or videos you could share that may match what your NMT has you doing?

[@thetickedoffpianoplayer4193]

When I was a kid I used to walk on my toes, and my mom would correct me for it. I forgot about that.

[@GhostIntoTheFog]

I’m sorry you were treated that way.

[@MassiveGarbage]

Treated what way? All he said was he was corrected. Walking incorrectly can cause all sorts of problems down the road.​@@GhostIntoTheFog

[@k0nstntcs798]

wow. this is potentially life changing information for me as someone with ADHD and all of the symptoms you’ve described

[@Blake-pk3zy]

I'm overjoyed to see him representing us sweaty folk out here❤😅

[@spaghetto9836]

Nah 'cause I was like "Change your shirt!" 😭-

[@pluto9000]

The shirt has darker arm pits. It does look like sweat though 😂

[@Blake-pk3zy]

@@spaghetto9836 I kid you not, though I bathe and use deodorant, I sweat profusely! Even completely at rest! Haven't been diagnosed with hyperhidrosis yet.... But I'm pretty convinced!

[@Blake-pk3zy]

@@pluto9000 oh!!! I stand corrected! Haha

[@AnotherBrainArt]

Looks like sweat on a very normal tee shirt and uneven like sweat not like a shirt but with darker fabric or bits. And it’s very relatable.

[@smcg2490]

This entire video seemed to try and give an explanation but never quite got there. What was the solution that worked for you? If it was “therapy”, EXACTLY what did it consist of?

[@cynthiabrown5456]

Also curious about more exact information about treatment.

[@sometea4741]

I think the info was there but the sweaty underarms made it un watchable..mish mash.

[@cynthiabrown5456]

@@sometea4741 Hey, though! It's a real thing that some of us have temperature dysregulation & all kinds of stuff with sweat and such. I have dysautonomia, so I get it.

[@FloatingSpark]

He called it "neuromuscular therapy", specifically "St. John neuromuscular therapy". Never heard of it myself but sounds awesome!

[@gregofthedump]

In my case, toe-walking was caused by talipes (ie. club foot). My Achilles tendons were too short, and I needed operations and physio therapy to correct them.

[@emilysnyder4857]

That's interesting, my feet turned in so bad in early childhood that I had to wear shoes with a bar between them. They left them on all the time and I would walk around like a penguin. Now my feet point outward because I think I overcorrected wearing the bar.

[@thornwych]

I find this really interesting because I'm a toe walker, though I don't do it all the time any more, and I have problems with my achilles tendons. Especially if I've been trecking up hills. There have been several occasions where I couldn't walk for a day or so

[@hannahseling1513]

For me balancing is mainly a kind of self-stimulation. (The abbreviation stimming, the sounds and letters, gives me sensory ick feeling similar eating noises, which is why I use the unwieldy term instead.)Toe walking, jumping around, doing various postures while on one foot all pleasantly engage parts of my brain that would otherwise be in overdrive, by making me focus on compensating for my dyspraxia. That being said occasionally (and when I was younger) it was very much a sensory issue. The sensation of having my heels touch the ground was very unpleasant and uncomfortable. Point is there are several pathways towards "atypical behaviour", so just having the same symptom doesn't necessarily follow the exact same causal pathway even within the same medical condition.

[@AnnaCatherineB]

Thanks for all this information. Very helpful. Sorry you had so many bad experiences with ignorant therapists and trainers. The human body is so incredibly complex, there's no easy fix. I hope more people who toe walk can see this and hear your experience so they dont get yanked around by professionals they trust.

[@cynthiabrown5456]

A lot of us have hypermobility & it definitely can lead to trouble in fitness if you get bad advice in general. I think doing your own research helps, especially if something doesn't sound right.

[@violett874]

I don't think you said anything wrong but definitely found the most complicated and convoluted way to say that holding stress in certain areas of the body causes seemingly unrelated symptoms like toe walking and ibs...

[@grummelameise]

spot on

[@SnoFitzroy]

It wasn't convoluted at all. He was explaining WHY it does that, which is different from just saying THAT it has that effect. Knowing "Whys" and "Hows" is always more useful and more important than knowing "Thats"

[@Meerkat628]

Its also not always true. When its people with autism, some people just have sensory issues. Zilch to do with posture, in these cases, the posture can be a result of the toe walking. Other people, autistic or not, may have started as babies (its not uncommon), but their achilles tendon didnt lengthen as they grew so it becomes painful to put a flat foot on the ground. Some people, like me, regale in the springiness when barefoot and have perfectly fine balance either way. Incidentally I also have IBS, Ive basically linked it to sugar sensitivity, flare ups due to overeating(everyone in my family is fat, easy to get peer pressured), and the occasional kind due to some obvious temporary stressor. Like back when I had to do school presentations.

[@key37raminus]

Woah, but that's "over simplyfying" things! Lol

[@key37raminus]

How else would he fill up this video time? And make sure we believe him, by saying all those medical terms really fast?

[@Elegyofawesomeness]

I more or less figured this out on my own, but haven't been able to put it into words!! Great video! I've noticed, for myself at least, that my anxiety caused bad posture + shallow breathing, which in turn caused my anxiety. So I try to focus on full/deep breathing, which requires loosening up of the core.

[@Raziel_Hijikata]

This is an incredibly informative and helpful video thank you very much for making it ❤

[@ryanhewitt9902]

Fascinating. In true fashion I plan to spend weeks picking apart and fact checking every sentence in this video before making the slightest adjustment. 🙃 Seriously though thanks for making this video.

[@TimelineTheSchizoid]

Its even more fun when you account for the hormonal responses involved

[@tro_b0t]

I hate how this back/forth presentation makes what you're saying so easily understandable while still having all the details I need to care about.... actually it's how I speak with my inner monologue... and out-loud sometimes.. Thanks?

[@Randy-Lahey]

This was an awesome video, I’m Adhd autistic, and just went through school for massage therapy. And so much rings true. Also loved the dis on most people in this profession. Love that my state is one of the hardest to become a therapist in! Quick tip, you can pretty much google any therapist and see if they ever had any formal complaints, but also their level of education.

[@fleurishadvisors232]

So you're saying that my childhood trauma is what caused my anterior pelvic tilt? That's extraordinary and so sad. I wonder how many people like me are suffering with no medical help.

[@destinydavis4873]

As an AuDHD LMT ... This information is *chefs kiss* thank you for sharing this information

[@VTPPGLVR]

I remember being told a lot that I was stomping around when I walked. I also have heel spurs. So I wonder if those play a role with others, too

[@neurodiversitymedianetwork]

I'm a heel walker too. I wonder if we over correct the other way.

[@eveningprimrose3088]

I was told that too. My heels would literally bang on the floor.

[@capriquarius9861]

Me too, very curious.

[@Lycantis]

@@eveningprimrose3088My neighbors sound like they are wearing bowling balls on their feet 🤣

[@Mistmantle88]

It was always explained to me that women heel stomp and men toe walk because evolutionarily women needed to scare snakes and predators away from the baby, while men needed to sneak up on prey. I have no idea how valid this info is.

[@maxdoe6603]

I've been in and out of physical therapy my entire life and had the exact experience with things being made worse. Last year I finally pieced together some of the issues mentioned in this video and decided to pay out of pocket for a physical therapist who was more qualified to deal with chronic, whole body issues. I started seeing her in October and things have been improving! It's a slow process but I'm already a lot more mobile than I had been, and having way fewer migraines. This is valuable information!

[@zrajm]

I find this very interesting, at the same time it kinda suspiciously… coherent? I would love to read more about this, but don't know where to start. Could someone point to some sources please?

[@AutumnPinkyKat]

I always liked to walk on my toes, because I thought it was super cool and exciting and comfortable. Now my feet are usually in pain if I walk normally.

[@zlarez4485]

So does toe walking actually help alleviate some of the issues from the pelvic tilt?

[@imperfectly_megan]

It looks like it makes the issues worse from the video. (Edit: I just checked and I do have anterior pelvic tilt too.)

[@tiggerdcat]

I think it's more like, the pelvic tilt _causes_ the toe walking, because it forces your balance over the balls of your feet instead of down the center, through your arches, I believe. I've walked on the balls of my feet (or toes) as long as I can remember, and recall, through ballet, having the pelvic tilt issues as well, because my ballet teacher would hit me in the ass with her baton and yell at me to tuck, which I was, as hard as I could! I could have flattened pennies with my butt cheeks with a hard as I was trying! I've also always had severe upper and lower back pain, and shoulder issues. My shoulders actually almost got me dismissed from the Air Force, but the doc was nice and asked me if I wanted out of basic or if I wanted to keep going. I worked hard to get there, so I asked to stay, so he left it out of my records. Actually my shoulders are going numb right now from sitting sideways in bed, because it's an 8.5 out of 10 pain day, but I'd rather try to sleep it off than take the medication. Ugh, some days I hate living. Not... that I'd do anything detrimental about it, I just wish (sigh) I could live in my dreams instead, or something. Hurts less in there. Physicality *and* mentally!

[@AnotherBrainArt]

@@tiggerdcatI’m very much like you. Even my toddler photos, I’m on my toes. Deep lower back curve and major tilt with massive pain now.

[@fatal3260]

Fascinating video! My knowledge about posture and chronic pain lies in musculoskeletal areas, and from my observations I've also noticed overlap between autistic people and hypermobility disorders, which can also result in the chronic tension you discuss here, as muscles clench to compensate, so another facet to add on top of societal stress!

[@audreydoyle5268]

Yep. Almost had an argument with my roommate cause while watching a medical show, paramedics commented that a newborn had hypermobile joints and he said "that's a sign of autism,". I just thought, yeah, not sht. And said to him, "Yeah, I know," and over extended my arm. He said "you don't have autism,". I ask why he thought that. His response: "cause you're smart. I work with autistic children, you don't act like them,". I'm willing to bet most of the children are boys, early diagnosed and minimally/non-verbal. The prevalence of hEDS and ASD is nearly 50%. And I am in so much pain and turmoil because of my nerve entrapments, feelings of social isolation and autistic inertia.

[@karupt422]

Calming my overactive nervous system greatly, greatly reduced my autism/adhd symptoms. Dont say there is nothing to cure, because much of it can be.

[@imperfectly_megan]

Please give a summary of what you did. This is my biggest problem too.

[@karupt422]

@@imperfectly_megan i started by taking mushrooms

[@MontajBlaze]

Its one of my biggest pet peeves when people are so 'adamant' against term cure. I don't want to 'cure' how my brain thinks or mt personality, but I wouldn't mind it if I cured my sensory overload, my heart disregulation, my poor digestion, and bad temperature regulation.

[@meljaxb]

I feel so called out😢 the more you kept telling the more I felt like you could see back in my childhood and explain everything and I just want to cry now. Bringing back hard memories thank you for that enlightenment with your information

[@donnanewby3386]

Thank you so much - very useful and detailed enough. Thank you

[@Aemirys]

This blew my mind! Thank you so much for imparting this information! Im going to go ahead and show this clip to some of my therapists and specialists!

[@jazy3091]

This is such a good and informative video. Why can't I focus on what's being said and instead I'm obsessing over the big sweat patch under his arm? fml

[@tom99krk]

Same :(

[@tiggerdcat]

It was the gap in the zipper for me.

[@jazy3091]

@@tiggerdcat ooooh the sweat bit gathered all my attention that I didn't even noticed there's a zipper... gap... or trousers

[@tiggerdcat]

@@jazy3091 Yeah, I know it makes it look like I'm perverted, looking at people's zippers, but it's one of my biggest fears, so I catch myself checking others who are at the center of attention, that way I can warn them if there's a "wardrobe malfunction" of sorts, but... can't really do that on KZbin, so I guess he's stuck with it. It stems from accidentally tucking my skirt into my tights at a concert, once, and nobody said a thing until, finally, a lady stopped me as I was about to enter society, after leaving the loo. I had to walk through 3 rows of stalls, a hand washing area, and a sitting room before leaving the rest room and nobody said a single word! And once I went shopping, was out for 3 hours, and came home to see my zipper was undone almost all the way. Luckily I was wearing a large shirt that sits low on the waist, so it his it fairly well, but I was mortified! So, yeah, zippers and skirts... I check 'em!

[@Respectable_Username]

Interesting, interesting. Anything we can do at home for ourselves without risking it on a therapist who won't know about it? My posture, back, and gut would thank you for it!

[@suecharnock9369]

OMG. Thank you so much for this. It has gone into my saved videos because I just know I will need it to spread the word!

[@tiggerdcat]

Oh, that's right! I almost forgot I can save the ones I like/need! Thanks for that!

[@markjoyce3172]

Wow. Teach me more! This is some of the best teaching I've ever experienced. I now know SO many new things, including why I get toe cramps if I'm not standing up! Wow

[@Andruhevich]

Good info. Fix sweaty armpits next.

[@wormisjunkd]

i wondered why my ballet teacher was always saying I had ‘banana back’… also - THANK YOU for saying the reason for an absence of cure for autism is that there is NOTHING TO CURE! honestly took a knot out of my chest, truly the best perspective on it :)

[@user-fed-yum]

Bold, evidence-free claims. I find your presentation very hard to believe, although I couldn't watch all of it. Whilst your presentation may explain the reason that you walk on your toes, it's just not plausible that this is the only possible explanation, or that this is a widespread cause. Do you have any published and peer reviewed sources to back up your claims?

[@JB-hj2vj]

He didn't say it was the only possible explanation or that it's widespread - autistic people are a small section of the population.

[@eveningprimrose3088]

There is a positive correlation between lordosis (swayback) and autism, so I think his theory is meritorious.

[@GhostIntoTheFog]

@user-fed-yum They’re allowed to speak to their own personal experience and to caution against a one-size-fits-all approach. BTW, just because something is published in a peer-reviewed journal doesn’t mean it has any evidence behind it; the number of so-called scientists and researchers who publish absolute garbage on the subject of the autistic neurotype are the rule, rather than the exception.

[@user-fed-yum]

You all sound like members of a cult. Defensive, divisive, narrow minded, easily led astray. As I said, bold, evidence-free claims. Harmful, conspiratorial, intellectually bereft.

[@WhiteRoseNeko]

I am an LMT. Also ADHD and I'm going to be tested for autism. I've been working on daily movements to help me improve my body. I've started getting videos, too, though I'm not really comfortable sharing them as of yet. I have learned more today about why what I already do helps my clients so much! Thank you for sharing and I think I will look into taking that class!

[@cevothy]

Holy shit everything you said explains so much for me in my life, even though i am still undiagnosed but its pretty obvious for me that i have autism

[@EpicRealistTV]

This is broken down so well! Thank you. One of my daughters does this and has been since babyhood. I notice her posture and now I get it.

[@FreshAlacrity]

Thank you so, so much for this - I've wondered for so long why I couldn't fix my posture and this explains so much of what I've been struggling with

[@AGDinCA]

My son was a toe walker until he was 6 years old. Although not autistic, he shared many symptoms to those found on the spectrum. He ended up having surgery to snip the tendons in the back of his heels because they had become so tight he couldn't lengthen them, even though he spent a lot of time in physical therapy. It was rough having him in double casts, let's be real. However, he was young so he healed quite quickly. After the casts were removed, he resumed his physical therapy for a few months. That was almost 10 years ago and he's been doing well ever since.

[@NyoomMonster]

This is so so helpful, and I am going to become a neuroscientist and neurologist, with a mission to know all about these kinds of things, because of the health issues I've dealt with my whole life. Thank you so much for posting this and sharing where to learn the neuromuscular therapy techniques from. I want to try to study them some day and share what I've learned with lots and lots of people, especially disabled people like myself, without cost barries.

[@raentrieve]

omg this explains it so well. thank you for helping me understand wtf is going on when i constantly toe walk without even thinking about it.

[@evanlee93]

toe running is better for your knees and more energy efficient. only downside is that i grew up not really gaining any flexibility in my calves/achilles tendon so now I can't squat down all the way.

[@HaShomeret]

Also, thank you for giving me the language to describe these symptoms. Like, before I could look at someone walking down the street and say: they look like they have some kind of nurodiveegence. But now I can say: I'm noticing some spasticity to their muscle tone. So so much better, clear and specific and accurate.

[@aracnadei13]

Really appreciate your perspective on lost medical knowledge. I struggled for years with several doctors and therapists for rhomboid issues. Most said to do push ups, which didn't help at all. I finally had a massage therapist who explained the body mechanics of why that was a bad idea. She had me doing back exercises which helped more than anything else I'd tried. She told me her ultimate goal was to lose me as a customer because I didn't need her anymore, but could recommend someone else later. It worked. I don't think most of the others were malicious, just ignorant. That's really a shame.

[@3xfaster]

For some reason taking marching band in high school kinda changed my walking locomotion. Not sure if that ended up being a masking habit tbh.

[@bomdestructor]

I like when you are explaining things like I'm stupid. And this is something what I want to hear when I'm asking someone to explain me something like I'm stupid. Thank you ❤

[@bomdestructor]

And I'm still struggling this toe walking thing, because nobody ever adressed this problem in my childhood or I never thought that might be issue with my posture. Untill I saw this video what might explain why there was a time when I could walk only with heels, because it Hurt less than walking with sneakers. And my posture is still terrible. Paper test in the psychiatric told that I don't have autism, but my own studies Indicate (with my close relatives hint) that I might be autistic in some level (even my mothers alcohol consumption when she was pregnant with me can Indicate that something have happened to me also). Disturbing, weird and frustrating.

[@SanyadorAnimals]

"If back is clenched, will clenching abs make back better" The number of physical therapists and chiropractors and doctors in general ive been too that have told me to work on my core strength. Ive had chronic disc herniations for 17 years and this is the first time ive heard of bad tone or that strengthing the core isnt a solution, and can in fact make it worse

[@Serenadion]

Omg...this is not my reality, but I shared this to my social media because this is crucial information to get out there! I have my own health problems that became debilitating due to wrong diagnosis and therefore ineffective or no treatment. I'm better than I was, but still very much working on my recovery. My deepest empathy, and my goodness am I glad to hear you got proper treatment!!

[@graywing6336]

As some with autism, ADHD, and who had a traumatic childhood, this explains so much

[@Antney946]

Thank you! I just learned quite a bit from this. This seems like it is one of your areas of intense interest- but not just because you have been living it.

[@idlikemoreprivacy9716]

Awesome presentation! I just noticed all my attention was stolen by some form of bowel discomfort during childhood and this affected my socialization, have a significant pelvic tilt and trying to "fix my neck" caused me some hours of vision loss and 5 days of hospitalization. Thanks for your work!

[@caterpuss]

Im fairly sure I'm not autistic, but have ADHD since I stopped toe walking I constantly feel like I'm going to fall and stumble a lot. This video gave me so much I can use to advocate for myself since my doctor can't figure anything out themself.

[@ansalem12]

I do this because I generally don't like bothering people and I've had insomnia for basically my whole life, so when I was a kid I learned to walk quietly because I didn't want to accidentally wake people. And the habit stuck. I don't do it when I'm wearing shoes though. Interesting video. I don't think I have the problem you're talking about, but maybe I did when I was young and it's possible my reason for toe walking was just post-hoc rationalization at the time. The reason I still do it is just out of habit, so who knows.

[@themontu7066]

I hav CPTSD and when you started talking about the anterior pelvic tilt and IBS and how it’s all caused by chronic over activation of the sympathetic nervous system, my jaw hit the floor. I don’t toe walk but the rest is me to a tee. I’m kind of in tears right now, but at least I have a new resource. I had _no idea_ that the hip tilt was related to decades of stress and trauma. Thank you.

[@rosannatufts855]

I’m autistic with anterior tilt, but I don’t remember if I ever toe-walked. But from ballet classes, I figured out that I can bring my pelvis back into alignment if I walk with my femurs turned outward. And I walk with a hip swing, not side-to side, but alternating forward-forward (if that makes sense). The gentle twist this gives to my low back, keeps it flexible.

[@Lady8D]

Holy crap, so much of my life makes sense now - thanks! I'm autistic and have CRPS, chronic regional pain syndrome...formally known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. You described my posture, etc to a tee

[@sciugasalvage]

Holy crap, this S tier Gold content/knowledge. Thank you sir

[@rachelthompson7487]

Wow I’ve never heard of anyone explain this before. It actually makes sense. Thank you.

[@shadeeldridge9711]

Holy shit dude I know I had wonky posture but this explains so goddamn much. I just thought I was naturally super sway-backed which I am but there's so much more. I was in dance for a while and posture and alignment is a HUGE deal for your technique, especially ballet. My dance teacher bent me over and did a quick check of my spine for scoliosis plenty of times. I was told things like "you're a natural mover, but your technique just isn't there" all the time. I really thought it was my fault and I was just being lazy with my posture even though I tried so hard to get that ballet alignment right. Which is hard for the average able-bodied NT to achieve, let alone me when I was a stressed out, undiagnosed highschooler.

[@Lotusblue234]

This is the longest-winded way I've ever heard somebody say "It's caused by stress"

[@kingamiko382]

damn this just answered and explained so many questions I've had and didn't know I had

[@bd24920]

A Feldenkrais exercise for bringing attention to the "three corners" of my feet worked really well to help distribute the weight evenly and made a huge difference to bring down my chronic anxiety (that I wasn't even aware that was there).

[@stillnotstill]

CRYING OMG I don't toe walk (stomp around instead) everything else is spot on. And I've literally known about my anterior pelvic tilt by name for a long time and I haven't been able to find the information that you packed into this video and even though there's a lot more research to do I feel like I'm equipped now to actually understand some stuff and oh my goodness I feel overwhelmed with relief tbh Thank you!!

[@Mx.Phoenix]

This just answered a lot of questions for me that I didn't realise I had - thank you

[@autisticcupofjoe]

Omg, did you really just solve 3 problems that I've always had- extremely poor posture, anterior pelvic tilt and toe walking? Wow. Subscribing

[@RemoteCamper]

I've toe walked my entire life UNTIL I bought my own house (at 45) where I knew I could be loud (no one "watching me") . I looked at it as being respectful not being a heal thumper. OMG am I on the "spectrum... Well yeah because of other things. I am a mix of Sheldon and Monk BUT completely normal at the same time. YAY

[@AiKiss]

Okay okay, there's so many things explained in this video that makes suddenly sense for me ! I am autisic and I do toe-walk but I thought it was just some quirky thing I like to do because it's funny. I also have the same posture you show and attributed it to my scoliosis (even if it has reduced a lot thanks to physical therapy and shouldn't have that much of an impact now that I think about it), and I DO put my weight on my heels. I drag my feet when I walk (and killed so many pair of shoes because of it) and no amount of carefulness was able to "loose the habit". And now you're telling me that it's all linked ?? And it's because of autism and ADHD ?? Thank you so much for making this video, it's nice to learn all of that, and that I might be able to actually do something about it.

[@PaulKentSkates]

Great video! Total spit balling here, but looking at the limited number children I've worked with who are considered to be on the spectrum and has massive anterior pelvic tilt, I feel one of the correlations that make up the higher instance of autistic peoples toe walking could also be due to more autistic people having less social active play. And of course there is dyspraxia. Personally I remember being in grade 5 analyzing my friends gait patterns with the hopes to figure out how to most optimally walk. (I have not been diagnosed bit I am highly monotropic). It started a life long interest in movement and eventually kinesiology. I now teach people how to move for a living via mobility and control and yes never is the issue just with the core. I'll take a look at that training. Thank you for the tip!

[@fabricdragon]

speaking as an undiagnosed probably autistic woman... who toe walked through a lot of my adolescence... while they were NOT treating this specific issue, i had vestibular migraines, neuropathy and "rocks in my ears" (vertigo) that after far too many failed PT efforts (they tried, bless them- lots of strengthening my core) i was referred to VESTIBULAR REHAB (which i should have been sent to ages before but i dont think most of my PT folks knew it existed.) the Vestibular Therapist saved my life. a LOT of what we worked on was balance training, center of gravity and so on, plus she fixed the vertigo (ear) identified the toe issues, and identified vestibular migraines so i could get treatment. based on what you are discussing, i think a lot of vestibular rehab specialists may have... if not THAT training? something similar enough to be useful