Lining things up.

[Tylers-mum]

Just wondering if your kids do this?? I had never noticed this with T although the play specialist who spent some time with T at the hospital noticed he did this! Not sure if he does this in school as I keep forgetting to ask but it's not something I've noticed anyhow!!

[bid]

My eldest (AS, ADHD and Dyspraxia) has never lined anything up in his life, but my 4 year old (middle of assessments) does a lot of lining up.

 

Bid

[lynyona]

Kieran lines things up all the time dvd s videos his magazines games you name it and he lines it up .lynn

[mossgrove]

Lining things up is classic autistic behaviour along with spinning.

 

A friends daughter (ASD, 9) NEVER plays 'with' her toys, she just lines them up in various positions.

 

Simon

[Tylers-mum]

T does spin a lot and I know both are related to ASD but I don't see him lining things up! Whether or not he does this more outside the house I don't know (in unfamiliar settings) but he does and always has had a thing about spinning and getting giddy as he calls it.

Edited October 25, 2005 by Tylers-mum

[Malika]

Hi Tyler Mum

 

My son did a lot of lining up with cars, stones, shells, he he is still doing it sometimes but never as much he would classify by colours size or type I always found it amazing because so logical, he loves all sorts of paterns and sequences.

What make me think that he was ASD was his habit to spin things and get so excited about it.

 

Malika.

[Klou]

Hi Tylers Mum

 

I am wondering if my son has ways of lining things up that I haven't picked up on. He doesn't line everything up but if he plays cars the cars line up in a traffic jam on the garage ramp. Often train track play ends after he has carefully lined up all the coaches, trucks and engines in the biggest train possible and gets frustrated that it won't go round the corner without the train falling apart.

 

I had never thought about his play in this way before. He did it all the time when he was a toddler when Bob and Co formed a line across the floor. I just assumed they were following each other. Maybe I was wrong.

[Lynden]

Logan doesn't line things up but he spins everything in sight!!

 

Lynne x

[nikki2307]

T doesn't spin any of his toys and occasionally lines them up but not often. Otherwise classic ASD though- flapping, stimming, tip toeing etc. Likes to spin himself rather than anything else.

 

And adores making loud noises- especially when we're out but also when he's tired. Over excitement and fatigue produces the severest stimming/ noise. When he concentrates, he can be quiet and stim free but only in the right environment.

[shintyboy]

I can remember lining up toy soldiers,etc when i was a kid.Friends would have their's scattered all over the place,hidden in grass and suchlike! I couldn't fathom out why all mine got "killed" in one go,with them being so close together! I just had to have them in straight lines! Even now when i'm at work,my desk has a strict "code of practice" with everything in its place.Files and trays must be in same position all the time,and i get very upset if someone "borrows" something and puts it back in wrong place.At moment i'm on a fortnights holiday and dread to think what state my desk is in!!

[Calsdad]

Callum lines his cars up, always side by side and in colour order, cars are the only thing he does this with though (that i've noticed) most other things he just takes apart, rips up etc. He doesn't do a lot of spinning but if we are out in the park he'll have a 5 minute spin, and tends to rock back and forth slightly if there is no stimulation for him.

 

Malc

[smiley]

Hiya Tylers-Mum,

 

I can remember M lining up his thomas trains...by colour, by name, by number..... But only ever with the thomas trains, the rest of his toys he didn't.

 

This morning......M has made 24 lego cars.....in a line...... "I've made 24 cars, using 98 pieces". I love lego! So in comes mummy, all exited.. "ohhh, can we make a lego house??" M looks at me as if i've come from mars........"Don't be silly mummy, only cars.....".

[Tylers-mum]

Thanks everyone for all your replies.

 

Can't really say he did this as a toddler either! Yes he wrecked everything from wardrobes to drawers, from toys to wallpaper but never lined things up that I can recall anyhow! BUT, he has always had a fascination with lights and spinning things. Not so much now but when he was younger it was very evident.

[hollymg]

My aspie ds never lined things up, but my NT dd (almost 3 now) always does and it made me wonder, but our experts say that as long as she plays with the cars (vroom vroom) in addition to lining them up that it is very normal. Tonight she lined up the stacking cups and got them in color order, but then she pretended to serve me tea out of them...

[sarahjane]

H does not classically line things up, but takes hours setting out his toys just how he likes them and not really playing. At the moment it is lego they have to be made like the picture and set out like the picture on the box, or he will place all the lego people in orger on one mat. When he was younger it was playmobile each man had to have his own sword and right accesories and he would set them all up like the picture on the box, he used to and still does get v upset if you or another child tries to change things or gives the wrong man the wrong sword etc.

However he has never been a spinner but does flapp if over excited. I think they are all different and will have some characteristics but not others.

[kirstie]

Oh yeah, we've had many a meltdown if someone accidentally knocked onwe of Lewis's trains or cars out of line. He was so precise in lining them up side by side, it was painstaking 'work' that would fascinate him for hours.

Doesn't do it so much anymore though. just piles up every toy animal he can find in his bed, dunno how the boy sleeps..... maybe its the melatonin!!

[treetree]

my daughter lines things up all in order they are the little people from happyland if one gets knocked over we have to repeat it all again,she also stacks things in order or in same colour say if we are playing connect four (only the counters tho) but she does this evreyday and sits happily arranging them but if someone interfears all hell lets loose or if they get lost

[treetree]

my daughter lines things up all in order they are the little people from happyland if one gets knocked over we have to repeat it all again,she also stacks things in order or in same colour say if we are playing connect four (only the counters tho) but she does this evreyday and sits happily arranging them but if someone interfears all hell lets loose or if they get lost ps she also spins things or swings on the door

[lil_me]

Mikey's stuff has to be in the right order, not always lined up for example the castle in the hospital waiting area, he won't go into his appointment without putting all the men and horses where he thinks they should go. Dolls houses have to have the right furniture in the right rooms. Stacking and colour order he also does. He makes the same things with his geomag, lego and knex every time.

[mum22boys]

My son has always lined things up. When he was little it was toy cars now it is books, cars, batteries in fact anything he has a few of.

[NikkiSmith]

My 3yr old has to line his trains it wherever he is and he really loves them accross the front door! But as someone else said, he likes order, be it size, colour shape or things in the right place (ie. doll's houses!)

 

Interestingly though my dp doesn't still line things up, but he does like to pile things up and lots of piles!! - anyone else noticed this one?

 

 

Nikki.

[sharron]

k my 9 yr old lines everything up and even size and colour. h does not build with his knex all the different peices are lined up in order of size and colour.

[asereht]

My NT son 19 always lined most things up . ASD son only did this with certain things?

[lil_me]

Interestingly though my dp doesn't still line things up, but he does like to pile things up and lots of piles!! - anyone else noticed this one?

Piles of clothes, piles of mess and piles of junk

[elaine1]

my son did this all the time, my daughter does it too, she has a few trits but hasnt been diagnosed. and worryingly my grandson who is almost two does it too, i wonder if 'normal' kids do it?

[Noetic]

my son did this all the time, my daughter does it too, she has a few trits but hasnt been diagnosed. and worryingly my grandson who is almost two does it too, i wonder if 'normal' kids do it?

I am sure "normal" kids to it too, but the difference is that the majority of their play is imaginative and pretend play. Whereas for most on the Spectrum, sorting, lining up, arranging, setting up over and over again, is often what constitutes all of their play.

[treetree]

i asked alicia why she lined things up as she was doing her usuall lining up her misters all in a line of ten and then three rows and she replied to make sure ther all safe i just sat there and watched her but if shes happy then im quite happy to let her

[nikrix]

My daughter used to line things up when she was younger, I remember one time she took all her books off her bookshelf because they did'nt fit and put them all in plastic bag and lined them up on the floor. she now just collects things in boxes and bags.

nikrix