toddler lining up toys.. normal?

[kris85]

I know I worry too much sometimes (as do we all!) but ever since our nephew was diagnosed with autism last year I keep reading way too much into things and get worried about my son.

He's 22 months old and has recently started lining things up. He does it mostly with his blocks and he loves doing it with all his cars. He lines them up behind each other and the pushes the last car so they all move if that makes sense. He'll also line them up next to each other.

He doesnt do it in any particular order and doesnt get upset if it gets moved or anything.. but they always say its a red flag for autism, but the logical side of me just says its him developing normal.

Is it something many toddlers do?

His speech is also delayed.. he has about 20-30 words however doesnt use them super often. He is really good at copying what we say though and can point to a lot of things we ask. He was referred at 18months to a speech therapist but that wont happen for a while yet. I know he's behind but it doesnt worry to much at this stage to be honest.

I know I'm being super paranoid but just wanting to know if anyone elses little one does the lining things up? I find that theres so many things connected with autism these days that sometimes its hard to know whats normal and whats not

 

[scoobydrlp]

My toddler doesn't, but she's still very young. But I feel like LOTS of people talk about their toddlers lining things up, I believe it's just a normal thing they do. Try not to worry too much!

 

[Neko]

My daughter sometimes lines things up and sometimes sorts toys by color. I think in moderation those are perfectly normal. They are learning that items have categories, can be arranged as you please.

I would get worried if it is the only way your child plays. Otherwise I think it's normal behavior.

 

[SarahBear]

I honestly don't know the answer to your question. Although lining things up is something that kids with autism do, it's also true that a lot of things that kids with autism do, are normal at some stage. The trouble is they get stuck in that stage. Just because it's a common thing for kids with autism to do, doesn't mean that it is a sign of autism at this point.

 

[Mrs Doddy]

I would say normal x but if your worried just keep an eye on it

 

[sheldonsmommy]

I think a lot of toddlers do this. At Christmas my son would clump all the tree decorations according to colour and level of sparkle lol. When he's in bed he 'parks' all his cars lining his bed.

 

[Shezza84uk]

It might not be anything Autism related, my daughter is Autistic but she had no interest in toys at all and still doesn't. My son lines things up and crashes into them he's 18 months so its probably nothing to worry about if you are concern mention it to your health visitor x

 

[Blizzard]

F will take all if his toy animals and line them up on top of his toy piano . He's just fine, so it can be very normal . X

 

[susannah14]

My son takes all the spice jars out of the pantry and lines them up on the windowsill. He's also shown some preferences for having other items in a certain order too. I wouldn't worry as long as he's not too fanatical about it. I think this is normal toddler behavior.

 

[Kess]

It's completely normal. My LO has done it for ages and still does, my husband's cousin used to do the same as a child too apparently. LO's childminder says it's one of the schemas that children can have - see here:
https://www.birchfarm.co.uk/schemas.htm

 

[jd83]

My older son did that ALL the time. Lined up toys cars, toy trains, stuffed animals, pretty much everything. It was just a phase with him, he doesn't really do it anymore. I think it was mostly when he was around 18 months - 2 yrs old.

 

[tristansmum]

I'd say it's normal especially as its not ordered or problematic if you move anything. My son does it but he isn't obsessive about it. But yeah often there is a long line of cars in the conservatory!

 

[Bevziibubble]

My toddler loves to line things up. It started quite a few months ago and she would line up shoes, tins from the kitchen, toys etc. she loved them to be all neat and in a row! I think it's normal as I've heard quite a few toddlers doing it.

 

[seoj]

As already mentioned- totally normal. My LO loves lining up her stuffies side by side- or sitting in the middle and putting them next to her. It's cute! She too didn't talk a whole lot at your LO's age- but suddenly, the past 2-3mos her speech has just exploded- she went from saying more 1-2 words at a time to full on sentences-- she still shocks me most days with what she can say. She used to rarely repeat words- now she'll try pretty much anything we ask. It's crazy how they just start one day.

 

[babyblog]

My oldest did this for ages between 2-3.5. I'd find perfectly lined up animals, cars etc. He'd spend hours lining his animals nose to tail for example so Id say is normal!

 

[sequeena]

Yes it's normal.

My LO sometimes lines toys up. He does have additional needs but lining stuff up is pretty normal from what I've seen.

 

[supertabby]

Yes my DD does this, many children do and it's quite normal. Lining things up or sorting into categories (size or colour etc). My DD doesn't show any other signs of autism and I believe sorting stuff is quite normal. I'd only worry if there are other signs or if he is excessively upset by things not being in the order he likes them (even then it can be normal for a child to insist on a certain order to things anyway).

 

[emyandpotato]

Rory is very much a child that likes order and for things to be clean and in their place. But the HV said he isn't autistic. If your LO plays imaginatively then they probably aren't on the spectrum.

 

[JASMAK]

My daughter has asd and never lined things up. I think more of a concern is HOW they play with toys. Are they playing a game? Pretend? Or just watching the wheels or holding something but not playing with it (what my daughter did). It isnt normal play skills. There is usually much more than just unusual or no play too. Lining cars up alone, would not strike me as odd.

 

[pillarbox_red]

It's totally normal. My son was obsessed with this somewhere between 18 months - 2 years. He did the same thing with his cars. The girls at nursery said if was something called a schema that many toddlers go through stages of.