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Questions & Answers - Motor Concerns
My daughter is 19 month old. She is not walking independently.
She is mostly walking by kneeling down but a couple times I have
seen her take a few steps but still reluctant to walk independently;
otherwise she holds my finger and walks. Hip x-rays were taken. All
seems fine according to her pediatrician. Otherwise, her vocabulary
is great. She knows a lot of words. Her memory is also great! Please
let me know what might be the reason.
Most children walk by age 18 months, but there are still plenty
of children who are late walkers who for some reason don't begin to
fully walk independently until closer to age two. Some of these
children are knee walkers or very fast crawlers and for them it
seems like "why walk when I can get there faster this way?".
Some of these children are carried a lot by caregivers. I am glad
you checked with your pediatrician first and had your daughter's hips
checked. If she is walking with one hand held, that is a good sign
that she will soon take off on her own, she may just need to gain
that extra confidence to let go of your hand. I would recommend
carrying her as little as possible when at home and encouraging her
to walk pushing toys or holding your one finger as you mentioned. You
can also have her walk behind a large ball (like an exercise ball)
pushing it across the floor. You can try little tricks like dressing
her in overalls, so that you can hang onto the back straps of the
overalls while she walks (since you'll be behind her, she won't
notice as much when you are holding on or letting go) and much like
riding a bike "let go" when you feel she has her balance so that
hopefully she will take a few steps on her own. Some parents even
attach an extra little strap to the back of the overalls so they
don't have to bend down as far while their child is practicing
walking. You can also have her stand with her back to a couch so she
has her balance and then give her a small ball or stuffed toy to hold
so that she has to use both hands to carry it and encourage her to
come show the toy to you.
I would also suggest not using walkers or exersaucers with her
right now, or if you do, limit it to very short time periods since
she needs to develop strength and balance on her own. You can play
squatting games with her to help strengthen her quadriceps muscles
which she needs for walking, have her hold your hands and squat down
and then pop back up. If you continue to have concerns and your
daughter is not progressing with independent walking within the next
month I would suggest calling your local early intervention provider
for a physical therapy evaluation to rule out that any other factors
(such as low muscle tone) are contributing to her inability to walk
on her own. This is a
link to a
provider in your area.
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Questions & Answers - Motor Concerns
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