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Rachelp2

Aspergers and walking problems

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Hello,

 

Just wondering if anyone else suffers from this who is on the Autistic Spectrum?

 

I'm not sure if there is a connection to ASD's and walking problems?

 

I'm feeling quite bitter today and tearful as My 11 year old, Dan has alway's had problems with walking & co-ordination yet only now am I being listened to and Dan getting help with his problems - I'm bitter that it's taken so long to finally be told something. He has enough in life to cope with and now we actually have a name for yet another something else :(

 

I'll appreciate any comments regarding this one!

 

Best Wishes

Rach x

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Hi Rach,

 

My DS2 has just been referred to the podiatrist because of my concerns over his walking - I was concerned that he seems to limp or at least favour one leg. The paed said he has really flat feet and his feet 'roll in' when he walks, so he may benefit from inserts in his shoes.

 

How did you work out about your son's problems, and what's being done for him?

 

Lizzie x

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Hi when my son was first sent for assessement he was seen by a multidiscipline(sp) team adn the physio there reffered him to the orthotics department because he had markedly flat feet. He also walks on his toes and has slightly low muscle tone. The orthotics dept gave him splints(ankle foot orthoses AFO's) for both legs for past 2 years he's worn these adn they have kept his toe walking down. This year he has been moved onto stability boots and they are going to assess him after awhile and see how it goes but he might need to go back into splints again. The toe walking has come back alot with the boots but apart from the first couple of weeks when he complained of back pain he;s been fine since.

 

what help are they now offering your son?

 

I know the low muscle tone is defenitley related to ASD not sure about the flat feet as others non-ASD in my family have this and the toe walking is a sign of development delay not sure if specfic to ASD. His walking dosen't actually look different to me though I remember at nursery some kids making fun out of his running which he is alot slower at than his peers. His ankles used to lock into a fixed position between the age of 2 and 3, like after a 30min car journey when i tried to get him out the ankle wouldn't move for awhiel so he needed carried adn was most upset and I did have him looked at by hospital specialist (after asking gp for a referral 3 times and having to get my mum to come in and confirm what I was saying as she'd seen it happen too!),anyway specialist? thought he was fine maybe a little pigeon toe'd but all kids are apparently! Then nearer the time of assessment he was complaining of knee pain.

 

sorry I kinda jumped around a bit there in a rush lol

hope it makes sense

take care

Lorraine

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Hello,

 

Just wondering if anyone else suffers from this who is on the Autistic Spectrum?

 

I'm not sure if there is a connection to ASD's and walking problems?

 

I'm feeling quite bitter today and tearful as My 11 year old, Dan has alway's had problems with walking & co-ordination yet only now am I being listened to and Dan getting help with his problems - I'm bitter that it's taken so long to finally be told something. He has enough in life to cope with and now we actually have a name for yet another something else :(

 

I'll appreciate any comments regarding this one!

 

Best Wishes

Rach x

 

 

Yes, my son has always had problems with walking and coordination and nobody has been particularly interested. When he was younger (he's now nearly 13) he was seen a few times by Orthopaedic peeps, but they just said his joints were extremely loose which was causing his feet to flop about and turn inwards but that this would sort itself out as he got older and there wasn't really any treatment. They did try shoe inserts, after I made a fuss, but they didn't really help.

 

My son's feet turn inwards terribly and he is always getting knee and calf pains. He can't run about freely and is generally very 'floppy', but no-one seems to be able to help or be interested. I think it's just a feature of the condition for some children and there's not much that can be done really! We've given up trying! :huh:

 

~ Mel ~

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hi rach thats so odd cos no one has ever mentioned it to me.you are the first person who has said anything..louis wont walk he doesnt get any pleasure from going for a walk.but complains constantly about his feet being sore...and i have really bad heal pain i have been to the docs but he said it would settle on its own...my feet are killing me all the time.if i sit down then try to stand back up im done for.or first thing in the morning im in agony....hmmm somthing for me to think about...love noogsy

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Hi all,

 

Thanks for your quick replies!

 

Dan first saw the Physio about his pains about 18months ago, he was given jelly insoles but they didn;t help. He was then passed onto orthotics dept at the hospital where they told us he has fallen arches so had some special insoles made for him to try to correct this problem. (These insoles feel like having a tennis ball in his shoes according to Dan) He get's on well with them but one foot inparticular has been playing him up for weeks.

 

In desperation I took him to the G.P to see if he could be sent for an x-ray as I thought he may have banged it but was referred to physio again, I chased them up and got this appointment for today....I was Hell for Dan today! He told the psysio "Hey you know I'm not on a Torture Rack!" not bad coming from an 11 yr old!!! I told her that he is in constant pain and cries with the pain & frustration at the end of the day to which he replied.."Mum - she does not need to know about my private life I just need this problem slolving!"

 

She has diagnosed him with Plantar Fasciitis and given him an exercise to do every day, we go back to see her in just over 2 weeks to see if it's healing and what the next steps (excuse the pun!) are going to be???? Also he's to take Ibuprofen for the pain.

 

So we'll see how this goes. OXGIRL: Don't give up now - you should insist on help as I should have all along - I have been saying about this problem for years and feel bitter that I didn't fight like I should have done.

 

Will keep you posted and hey...Many Thanks for your replies.

 

Noogsy, this sound's like a problem for you have you looked up Plantar Fasciitis?

 

Best Wishes to all

Rach x

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oh sorry hun the doctor told me i have pantat fascitis but id forgot what it was called.im on the waiting list to be seen at the hospital.ive been waiting 9 months to be seen.aparently the waiting list is two years.....in our area but thanks hun.you are the first person to mention the feet thing.im wondering if i should take lou to the doctors...my big son jumped from a roof about 1 and a half years ago and broke both his heels.he was drunk and thought he could fly..... :rolleyes::tearful::wacko: david didnt really drink but this was his first time gassed and erm he lost the plot.another reason we are getting him assest.another story...lol..thanks again hun...love noogsy

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When I first took my son to the doctors complaining of my sons last 3 toes on each foot turning inwards. He also walks frequently on his tiptoes. The doctor told me to stop worring and his theory was you did not need the small toes on each foot. I told him I was not happy with that explanation and I would want a second opinion from a specialist.

 

 

My sons being seeing a podatrist for one year. He wears insoles and gets reassessed every 3 months. You do have to be careful with using the insoles for a period of 2 hours than gradually building them up.

 

The podatrist said because he walks on his tip toes it puts pressure on other muscles and also his spine so these children do need treatment

 

Jen

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Yep C is dyspraxic. He really does have probs, if i was to describe him, he looks 'flat footed'. And walks like he is treading water,

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hello rachel, my daughter has aspergers and has always complained of pain in her bones. GP and consultant didnt do anything about it but thats nothing new! I have always had great difficulty getting shoes to fit hayley as her feet like the rest of her are very thin.4 weeks ago when getting her measured for shoes the girl fitting them mentioned that she was very flat footed and asked if she was hyper mobile. I had never heard this term before but when she explained what it meant i said she must be.This means joints move more than they normally would and can lead to problems later on. That night the doctor was coming to finish his assessment and i mentioned it to him he said it looked likely and is very common with children on the spectrum. Anyway the GP and consultant have agreed and we are awaiting a podiatry appt. One more thing that might help you is if you try going to a specialist running shop to get trainers fitted they look at you walking and spend ages getting the right trainer for you, let you try loads on and it is the like night and day the difference.

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hi rach i just opened your home page and realised i seen you before.....doh...im a twit.....i think i had opened your home page on OVs site last week.nice seeing you...lol...love noogsy

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Walking problems are caused either by a physical defect of joints, bones, or tendons, or a problem with the central nervous system such as dead motor neurons. Examine the soles of your kids shoes because walking problems often rapidly grind down specific areas and the worn area can pinpoint the defect. The alignment of you kids knee and ankle joints should also be checked. A misaligned joint such as knock knees can be surgically repaired although the procedure is gruesome and the recovery period long.

 

In the long term, walking problems often result in premature joint wear including stripped cartilage. Therefore it is important to identify the problem as early as possible.

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oh my goodness, ME. i do think im on the spectrum, especialy since veiwing my hospital records from when i was a child. but boy do i suffer with painfull feet. my daughters feet (pdd-nos) are incredibly flat as well and shes always complaining of pain in her feet.

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Hi Rachel,

 

My daughter (ASD) has always suffered with her feet (they are very flat, very narrow and very shallow - hardly any instep) - she can't walk very far without complaining and she has always walked funny too - the only real way I can describe it is a little like a puppet. We always put it down (together with her bad co-ordination, posture and lack of being able to run properly etc) to the fact that she was born with non-congenital talipes (or club foot). So it's difficult for me to really assess.

 

Take care,

Jb

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my nephew has the muscle tone thing going on.....i do wonder if he is autistic, he is five and has hardly any language.....he has been dx as global development delay.....he has got special little insoles for his shoes and he puts his right leg at a funny angle when he runs.

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Hi Rach

 

I have flat feet (Fallen Arches). It was discovered quite a few years ago, before I got my diagnosis. I am under the NHS and I have arch supports. in fact I went to see the Poediatrist yesteday for some new arch supports.

 

Thr arch supports lift the foot up and do the job that the foot cannot do on it's own.

 

He needs to wear shoes that don't have too low a heel or too high a heel.

 

Try not to be bitter as it doesn't change anything and it will only make you ill.

 

From Debbie

 

P.S. will send you an email soon to give you my news.

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Logan definitely has problems - he didn't walk till he was 2 and 10 months because of hypotonia and overly flexible hip/ankle joints. He still can't/wont walk outside or on some surfaces because he can't balance properly. He also has very flat feet. He still has really low tone and wears stability boots, and will need splints also.

 

He looks like pinochio when he walks or tries to run - very cute when he's three but probably not so cute when he's older.

 

Lynne x

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Kieran has always walked strangely and i mentioned it to the school doctor once and he got him to walk up and down hop etc and he siad that he couldnt see any problems,dont know whether its asd or the fact he has large long fet.

 

 

 

lynn

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my son has flat feet but walked okay as a child, I always put his two left feeted ness down to spatial probs but now realise it could be this also, thanks, interesting posts.

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my feet are as flat as a fluke .....was always pointed out to me as a kid.......and our bean is always complaining about his feet , that they hurt and ache, i always assumed it was his weight but come to think about it he could be flat footed too.....

 

hmmmmmm.....but if you guys think im going to the docs with his tutsies youve another think comin, lol

doc will only write down im nuttier than he first thought lol....godda laugh !!!!!!

hugs,

paula

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hmmmmmm.....but if you guys think im going to the docs with his tutsies youve another think comin, lol

doc will only write down im nuttier than he first thought lol....godda laugh !!!!!!

hugs,

paula

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: Paula - glad you've still got your sense of humour :)

 

J walks flatfootedly and has very thin flat feet - shoe fitting is a nightmare :blink:

 

I'm struggling with plantar fasciitis at the mo - doc said it would go away with anti-inflammatories in 2/52 - that was 6/52 ago :huh: and I've just had a steroid injection into my foot - instantly went into childbirth breathing at the shock of the pain :o - and now I've had an x-ray and he's talking splints and physio :(

 

Oh - yes - I'm also supposed to rest :lol:

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Yes, lewis has flat feet too, they are also very wide too. He doesn't get any pleasure in walking either and complains of sore knees particularly if walking over uneven surfaces. I haven't been to see about it but i think i will!

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Yes, lewis has flat feet too, they are also very wide too. He doesn't get any pleasure in walking either and complains of sore knees particularly if walking over uneven surfaces. I haven't been to see about it but i think i will!

 

J (9, Aspergers) has exactly the same issues. We went to see the GP about it, he got referred to the podiatry service and now has special insoles to hep with his flat feet. He can now walk for a mile or two without getting pain in his knees which is much better than he could manage before.

 

Simon

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Hi all - poor muscle tone generally is quite common in ASD's ... I was telling the health visitor even before he was walking that Ben seemed to 'intoe' on one foot.

Unusual gait ('lurching' or 'rolling' walk) is also quite common, sometimes arising from muscle tone/toeing in but also sometimes because of hypertension causing muscle stiffness (can your kids 'relax? I've seen Ben completely relaxed only twice in his life - both times under general anaesthetic! :lol::lol::lol: )

The 'fidget factor' is another direct consequence - yes our kids fidget because they are generally fidgety, but for those with poor muscle tone/coordination it can actually be quite painful to sit or stand for any prolonged (i.e. five minutes!) period of time.

"Sit up straight BOY!"/Slouched Shoulder Syndrome - similar reasons...

 

L&P

 

BD :D

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>:D<<'> hi there my Tom slaps his feet on the floor when he walks, you can always tell when hes coming though! lol. He is 13 now and noone has offered any help at all, i dont know if he could even get any. He has also has a long running problem with ingrowing toenails which we hope has been resolved with recent surgery. good luck xx

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My Luke has ASD and Dyspraxia and since he was 4 untill a couple of years ago physios were still giving him shoe inserts and Piedro boots, the boots did help with the falling over for a while when he was little.

 

He has completely flat feet.

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Yes, yes, yes. My oldest dx son always walks on tiptoes and he's 11 now. He has always found walking any distance very tiring and difficult. Looking at his feet they are not what one can describe as normal and altho he doesnt appear to be too flat-footed he has what looks like undershot heels and his feet are generally an odd shape. I am undiagnosed but no question of whether I am on the spectrum and comorbid ADD and I suffered the same difficulties walking throughout childhood finding it very tiring and painful to walk long distances-I used to be in tears when my less than sympathetic mother (but thats another story) used to drag me round town at 90mph :| My youngest undiagnosed but equally unquestionably on the spectrum son (pervasive and well-behaved in school so finding any kind of recognition for his difficulties impossible to attain until i win the lottery and go private) also complains a LOT of leg pains and tires easily and again doesnt like to walk long distances. As far as I know it is very common for ASD/Aspergers children to walk on their toes and I have no doubt that there are quite obvious physiological differences between us and neuro-typs besides the usual array of differences in brain function. It will be very interesting indeed to see when someone is actually able to make the correlation between the two amongst the ranks of the medical profession-to those of us living with such things its as plain as the nose on your face yet so many seem to have the same problem even getting any kind of recognition of the fact let alone its relevance in the scheme of things sadly :blink:

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The trouble I've had with getting help for J's walking problems is down to the professionals he's seen and their examination methods. They've just said to him, 'walk across the room from this chair to that one', and in a matter of a few steps it's not that easy to notice that many difficulties, especially if J is very conscious of being watched and making an extra effort to concentrate on his walking. They don't see him walking to town with his shoes on and his feet turned in and flapping all over the place and generally walking in, what I can only describe as, a very strange manner, they don't see that at all! :wallbash:

 

~ Mel ~

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The trouble I've had with getting help for J's walking problems is down to the professionals he's seen and their examination methods. They've just said to him, 'walk across the room from this chair to that one', and in a matter of a few steps it's not that easy to notice that many difficulties, especially if J is very conscious of being watched and making an extra effort to concentrate on his walking.

 

I had a slight - but noticeable - walking problem when I was a kid and my GP claimed there was nothing wrong. All he ever did was ask me to walk from one side of his room to the other, and push against his hands with my feet. He never made any attempt to check joint alignment or refer me for an X-Ray. Perhaps he knew something was wrong but wanted to conceal it to save NHS resources. My advice is to consult a private medical centre that deals with joint problems or sports injuries. They have experts who will speak the truth. I used to rapidly wear down the outer edges of the soles of shoes. A pair of shoes would often only last about a term before they needed replacing. I also used to wear down the outer wheels of quad skates.

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Wow,

 

I didn't think when posting that so many replies would come back!

 

Glad I may of been some help by mentioning this.

 

Well, as for poor Dan, he's really struggling along, his exercizes don't seem to be helping him - he's in constant pain and not back at the physio till next Tuesday :( I really feel helpless.

 

I have ordered a special cold reusable wrap from return to fitness site that i'm hoping will give him a bit of release. I'm also hoping that it hasn't been left too long to correct too as he doesn't like the sound of injections, splints or surgery....Nor do I what a nightmare.

 

He has been wearing jelly insoles for a year then he has special insoles made to lift his arch months ago but walking has just got worse so they have dx'd him with this - Hope they havn't misdiagnosed and he's making it worse?! I shall leave it to the experts and keep you updated.

 

Thanks again for all your replies - I've enjoyed this topic and feel now it's more common than I first thought.

 

If you have any doubts about your child - don't give in asking for help, it could be better sorted out faster.

 

Best Wishes,

Rach x

 

Hi also Noogsy, yes i know you from OV, adders etc....Were very alike :P

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Hi All,

 

Just a quick update.

 

Been back to the Physio today, basically....Dan will have this problem on/off all through life :tearful:

 

He has been doing the exercises daily but didn't realize that this will unfortunately be a long drawn out problem that will come and go for the rest of his life! I'm sooo sad about it, it get's him down so much and is agony for him and for me just watching him.

 

She did say that this problem is also part of his condition. I was researching and found a company that do a special wrap for Plantar facititiis it was just over �20 but Dan's gone to bed with it on he said it was strange but even if it takes the pain off a little it's better than nothing. He takes Ibuprofen to ease it but he can't be taking them all the time and to be honest, they don't actually help as such!

 

This wrap is re-usable, it goes in the freezer for 2-3 hours and can be worn around the house with or without socks - were giving it a try but I'm shocked he's managed to keep it on tonight as he was going to sleep - fingers crossed that it eases a little if not a lot.

 

I think our kid's have enough to cope with without adding more problems to the damn list! To top it all, just took me 2 day's filling his DLA renewal in - It drives me crazy and bring it all home to you when filling them forms in. Hopefully won't have to do them again for another 3 years!!!

 

Sorry I've ranted on, didn't mean to moan!

 

Bye for now,

Rach x

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Rachel

 

>:D<<'> >:D<<'> >:D<<'>

 

I hope the wrap helps him.

 

I agree with you it is tough to have physical difficulties to deal with as well, and filling in the DLA form is always depressing as it reduces one's child to a collection of problems.

 

My daughter L has big problems with walking and coordination, so I sympathise.

 

K

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Funnily enough, DS(12) ended up at the GP this week with a bony lump on his foot which was slightly sore. The dx?... Flat feet! Apparently, the feet are so flat that they are rotating and putting pressure on the bony joints on the inside of the foot. Dr's own daughter has similar problems so Dr said he had researched it fully (having missed it, embarassingly, initially), and "orthotics won't do anything". I asked if it was linked to dyspraxia and ASD, but he said that these sorts of problems are very common anyway and he wasn't aware of any specific link.

 

I mentioned that DS toe-walks sometimes, so Dr asked son to go on tip-toes... then he said not to worry as the feet showed an arch when the feet were in that position. Apparently, he said, that is the crucial bit... if there is STILL no arch the situation is more serious. As DS had the arches he advised just leaving alone unless the pain returned, in which case I should ring him back to discuss further.

 

In the meantime, DS's feet have not been painful, so I'm just watching and waiting.

 

Interesting thread!

 

VS xx

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Hi all again!

 

Just an update........

 

I bought the wrap, Dan has it on at night once in bed - he still has good/bad day's but I think this wrap has helped a little as well as me trying to get him to stretch his legs in bed before moving anywhere.

 

 

As for the damn DLA this problem has been overlooked and is still on the low rate mobility as he needs help on routes that are unfamiliar to him - nothing about problems/pains whilst walking.... I'm not sure about appealing as to be honest I just can't be bothered - DLA forms really get me down and as I'm an Adult with ADD it's a chore in itself just getting round to actually posting letters :lol:

 

Anyway, the wrap is soothing and would recommend buying one for anyone who has this problem.

 

Best Wishes

Rach

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Yes. problems here too. Kieran was first seen about 3 years ago regarding his feet/knees and hips. He now wears Insoles in his shoes, but there has not been much improvement. His knees are out of alignment with his hips, and his feet are as flat as pancakes. He practically walks on his ankles when barefooted. I am shocked to see all the replies which highlight this problem. They are so many connections with all of our children isnt there. ??

 

shaz

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My AS son also has probs with low muscle tone,flat feet coordination probs etc.He has had no input from anybody about it but my middle son (NT)who has scoliosis and flat feet,superflexible joints as well as a whole lot of other probs associated with this sees the orthotist at the local hospital and he recently did a Gait Analysis Test.Basically they video you walking then send it off to be analyzed by a specialist firm on a new computer programme and this in turn advises on the best form of correction procedure or therapy.Might be worth asking if they do it where you are?He has now had his lifts adjusted and his exercises updated and the report was very thorough.

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