Did you/do you have a 'janky crawler'?

[hi.im.em]

Looking for real world experiences. Online searches range from 'nothing to worry about' to 'its a developmental delay that may cause huge issues later'. Did your dc bottom scoot, three point crawl etc? How are they now? do you think it was a sign of something more or just a quirk? did you seek therapy? did anything work? (at 7 months it would seem that the way she crawls will be difficult to change as she's been at it for months). 

[Eos]

Two of mine were scootchers/three-point crawlers. I didn't know anything about why it was an issue and just assumed it was a style thing. One has synesthesia, is an intellectually complex musician, Type 1 diabetic, and a Fulbright scholar. The other to this day doesn't walk with opposing arm swings, is one of the kindest people on earth and won an undergraduate prize at college for excellence in scholarship. I worried in retrospect when I read about it, and probably would have tried to correct it at the time had I known. On the other hand, did it harm their later selves? Probably not?

The three-point crawler also walked at 9 months which was kind of a nightmare. The crawling style just seemed like impatience with crawling! He also used his own language until he was about three, easily interpreted by the older one (the scootcher.) Neither have a neuro diagnosis, maybe because I didn't know anything about having them evaluated, but also those differences didn't seem to get in their way. People now have much more information than I did 25 - 30 years ago. I kept my oldest out of school from the beginning because I knew he would have been referred for ADD testing and medication and I wasn't going to support that. Reading this forum over the years has let me understand how beneficial medication and intervention can be, but I didn't have that mindset back then.

Edited June 8 by Eos

[Katy]

One of mine wouldn’t crawl. He would roll instead. He has vision issues and a long torso and needed physical therapy to trust he could reach for the floor from sitting. After a few physical therapy sessions he stood up & started walking. 

Another crawled for two days, then stood up to walk. She’s got autism, on the milder end. 

Both needed occupational therapy for hand and arm strength from not crawling. Both resisted anything to do with writing or drawing for years, likely because they never developed the arm strength. After a few years of being in school they both like it better now, but still prefer using markers to crayons or pencils. 

If you’re in doubt, get a video of the odd crawling and send it to your pediatrician. Idk why, but sometimes it’s faster to get infants into physical & occupational therapy than slightly older kids. Oh, and you might also be able to get multiple kinds of therapy for free from your school district’s early intervention services. We did both EA & private therapy. 

[PeterPan]

Well what they do for it later, when the dc is 5-6, is to check for retained reflexes and check their developmental vision. I just don't know what they'd do now. What you could do is find an OT who does reflex integration (MNRI is my favorite system but there are several that work) and talk with them. They might have some play based activities for you to do to head it off at the pass.

Anecdotes on outcomes will have a range because people, strengths and ability to compensate, etc. vary. So yes, having had two kids do OT, I'd have the dc in OT as soon as the OT thinks it's advisable. I would *not* freak out and assume all kinds of other labels, outcomes, because the only *direct* correlation is that it is typically a reflection of reflexes not integrated. While that can be *common* in some later diagnoses, you can't say that for certain. In fact, I can think of some cases where that was not the case. So just take it for exactly what it is, a reflection that some reflexes are not being integrated/put away properly and that they may benefit from some therapy to make sure that happens. Reflex integration makes it more comfortable to live in their skin and is a step in the process of other reflex development (vision, vestibular, etc.). But you can have such a range of outcomes there.

So don't worry, just see what you can find locally and when they say to work on it. Sometimes it's harder than you expect to find an OT who works on retained reflexes. I've been seeing these ads for a new system (Harkla??) on FB and I take it to be materials marketed at parents. There's definitely a market for this and it's not unreasonable for you to do activities with the dc. But if you can find an OT trained in MNRI, that would be your best bet.

[Lecka]

This is just my opinion.

I don’t think this is so much something you try to change at this age, but it’s something to note and if you are filling out developmental screenings later, put it on the forms.  
 

I think it would also be appropriate to bring it up at the next pediatrician appointment.  

[alisoncooks]

Idk, but I feel like Bluey implied that variation (like bum shuffling) is normal, so… 😉

That said, I had a backward scooter who ended up being an early walker and is NT. I tend to look at crawling variation as an acceptable spectrum. 

Edited June 8 by alisoncooks

[ScoutTN]

One of mine scooted, never crawled. Walked at 17 m, but we knew something was not right after a bit. At 2 yo she was 30-35% behind in walking/running/jumping/kicking/throwing. She did PT for a few years. Along with swimming lessons and preschool level gymnastics/creative movement. Caught up by 5. 
 

She is a smart, musical, thoughtful, diligent, honest, and generally lovely young woman, thriving in college. 

[alysee]

My 5th baby hopped on her knees. Literally went from sitting up to knee hopping. Literal knee hopping from 7 months to 16 months when she just got up one day and started running. I remember googling things too because I'd never heard of it. I never did bring it up to the pediatrician though. She is an animated walker, practically skips along(which is how she broke her arm last August). 

[Jann in TX]

My oldest never crawled-- she rolled almost from birth to get what she wanted.  By 3-4 months she was pulling up-- at 5 months she was walking around the coffee table (holding on)-- The day she turned 7 months she was walking for good... she was RUNNING by 9 months.  Add to this the fact that she was 'failure to thrive' and while being born at 10 pounds she was only 14 pounds and in size 6 mo clothes at 1 year (and talking in sentences!).

I had taught elementary special ed and I knew that this was not a good thing... by 2 it was obvious that she was 'different'.  By age 3 it was obvious that her 1 yr sister was further developed in many areas so I made it a point to take her (oldest) to indoor playgrounds where she had to crawl through tunnels--I totally believe that this is what allowed her to catch up to her peers with reading and writing (by age 5).  She was classified as being an 'Aspie' (high functioning autism)  and we began homeschooling when she was 6.  

DD got married just a few weeks ago... she is an award-winning photographer and studio manager.  She has such a gentle spirit and is a wonderful person... 

[gardenmom5]

Dudeling combat crawled for a long time.  I thought he'd never crawl.  we werent in a position to do much, and I was having issues with my ped (whom I eventually fired.)
2dd and 1ds were both very early walkers (not much crawling). 

all struggled to learn to read.  
get them crawling as long as possible.

I was chatting with one of dh's clients, one of the therapies her son did was made him crawl for two years (he could walk).  She said it helped a lot.

[kokotg]

The one butt scooter I know of just graduated from college last spring and is now a Fulbright Scholar. 

[EKS]

7 hours ago, hi.im.em said:

(at 7 months it would seem that the way she crawls will be difficult to change as she's been at it for months)

If she is 7 months old and has been crawling for months, then she started pretty early.  Does anyone know if early crawlers are more likely to employ less typical crawling techniques?

[Clarita]

DS was early gross motor skills baby. He could stand independently at 6 months and walk/run by 9 months. He went through a lot of janky crawls (although he did get to a "normal" crawl at some point before standing and walking independently). 

At 3 weeks he would roll to his destinations (basically take a couple of rolls then look around, adjust and keep rolling). That progressed to basically he used his hands and arms to propel himself forward and his legs would scrunch up behind him, Then it was the arms with a toe which provided steering, to eventually that typical baby crawl (which came close to when he could stand up on his own). 

DD is normal she didn't even make any attempts to get anywhere until 9 months. Pulling up and crawling happened around the same time. She crawled like you'd expect a baby to crawl.

So in my limited experience the babies who are early motor skills do get janky crawls because they may not be physically capable of the normal crawl when they are determined to move. So they get places with whatever they have at their disposal. 

People (who worked a lot with young children) were worried about DS's crawling. They want to see that at some point he got to normal crawling before taking off and running. No we never did therapy or anything because pediatrician was not concerned because basically DS is doing what he was physically capable of doing. Then he did get to regular crawl for a short time before running. He also did janky crawls way longer than he locomoted via regular crawl, because he had a choice of holding on and walking, and regular crawl so he switched off. 

[Clarita]

8 hours ago, hi.im.em said:

(at 7 months it would seem that the way she crawls will be difficult to change as she's been at it for months). 

Basically I'm trying to say this is not necessarily true. During the first 2 years they grow a lot physically and mentally, they literally get abilities that they are incapable of doing on an almost month to month basis. So there is a chance something clicks in her physical ability or mental ability that triggers her to change her locomotive methods. 

[Murphy101]

Over half of mine did that. I had 2 that also skipped crawling entirely. None of that matters as long as they can actually do the milestone.  So I didn’t discourage my precocious walkers from walking but I did get down on all fours and play crawling games with them. Same for butt scooters or 3 pt crawlers.  For development reasons it matters less what order they accomplish these things than that they do manage them. 

[EKS]

33 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

None of that matters as long as they can actually do the milestone.

I believe that crawling isn't actually considered a milestone.

[hi.im.em]

This is all very reassuring- thank you. @Claritamy dd sounds similar to your ds was early days. She was using arms and a toe to propel herself forward since around 5 months. Since she's been moving in and out of sitting in the last 3 or so weeks she's been bringing her dominant leg around to the side to push off with that foot flat on the floor (club crawling). She also pulls up to stand already. @Claritadid you mean ds's normal crawl picked up around the time he could stand without holding on?

 

She does the club crawling intermittently with the army crawling and its the bit i'm worried about as its so lobsided (her army crawling is also lobsided but as you say - is often a stage babies go through). 

I've booked an appointment with the osteopath she saw after her tongue tie was released, and @PeterPan I'll look into the primative reflex stuff (although I'm very leery of buying parent-marketed courses,I'd rather buy a book if you have any suggestions as they tend to be better vetted). I'm vanishingly unlikely to find a practitioner nearby.

[hi.im.em]

Also great idea to those who suggested playing crawling games even when she can walk. @Claritahas your ds had any further motor issues or issues with handwriting/reading etc?

[hi.im.em]

4 hours ago, Jann in TX said:

My oldest never crawled-- she rolled almost from birth to get what she wanted.  By 3-4 months she was pulling up-- at 5 months she was walking around the coffee table (holding on)-- The day she turned 7 months she was walking for good... she was RUNNING by 9 months.  Add to this the fact that she was 'failure to thrive' and while being born at 10 pounds she was only 14 pounds and in size 6 mo clothes at 1 year (and talking in sentences!).

I had taught elementary special ed and I knew that this was not a good thing... by 2 it was obvious that she was 'different'.  By age 3 it was obvious that her 1 yr sister was further developed in many areas so I made it a point to take her (oldest) to indoor playgrounds where she had to crawl through tunnels--I totally believe that this is what allowed her to catch up to her peers with reading and writing (by age 5).  She was classified as being an 'Aspie' (high functioning autism)  and we began homeschooling when she was 6.  

DD got married just a few weeks ago... she is an award-winning photographer and studio manager.  She has such a gentle spirit and is a wonderful person... 

I can't describe how much I love this story

[Clarita]

7 minutes ago, hi.im.em said:

. @Claritahas your ds had any further motor issues or issues with handwriting/reading etc?

Well he hates writing (no delays just won't do it unless assigned). He is an early reader and he loves playing baseball and is above average at it (he has a fall birthday so he tends to be young on the team).

13 minutes ago, hi.im.em said:

@Claritadid you mean ds's normal crawl picked up around the time he could stand without holding on?

Yes because of how early he could stand without holding on. He was a bit cautious about actually taking the steps so it took a few months to go from standing to walking. In that time he would crawl if there isn't a "wall" to where he wanted to go. Like @Murphy101 says even after learning how to walk there are reasons to crawl. They play with things on the floor, pretend to be a dog, or playing with a younger sibling, etc. 

[kbutton]

So, mine did everything early or on time and did all the crawling and such for a long time. They still ended up with either vision issues or retained reflexes or both, lol! That said, they had some of the shortest courses of vision therapy our optometrist had ever seen.

A friend from South America told me that babies in her country tended to butt scootch rather than crawl, which surprised me.

I think playing games that might encourage more crawling is good, and otherwise, just document it with the ped and watch for signs that some extra stuff might be needed later on.

[Momof4sweetkids]

I might get their vision checked but if that came back normal, I wouldn't be worried. My dd was a late mover because she had cataracts.

[Starr]

 

Grandson joins the frog clan lol.

 

[HomeAgain]

We used to call youngest ds Stewie (from Family Guy), because he always seemed to be angry at the fact that he was a baby and couldn't do anything.  If you've ever seen a 6mo look at you like he's planning your demise, you can understand what family gatherings in our house were like.  So, yeah, crawling was janky because he didn't think he should have to do it at all.  Fast forward...he did have some minor motor skill issues, but nothing too bad.  We did a lot of work with fine/gross motor skills regardless.  Coordination was difficult.  He learned to ride his bike last out of his friends (about age 6) and ran like an alien.  He did A LOT of extra work to be able to skate passably.  And everything was pretty okay up until he was 12, caught Covid, and his muscle memory for certain things slipped away for a while - things where he had to concentrate anyway to be able to do: violin (gave it up), handwriting (he invented new forms to compensate), and playing with a ball (low-key work got it back).

[Lady Florida.]

Ds barely crawled - only for a month or two. He preferred to roll over and over to get where he wanted to be. He hardly did the rock back and forth on hands and knees thing. Shortly before he turned 9 months old he pulled to a stand and 3 days later started walking. He took off and my life was never the same after that. 😂

Edited June 9 by Lady Florida.

[Murphy101]

On 6/8/2024 at 1:40 PM, EKS said:

I believe that crawling isn't actually considered a milestone.

Idk about now bc my youngest is nearly 8 now. But it used to be considered a milestone.  Rolling, sitting up, crawling, pulling up to stand, free standing…  these were all on every typical pediatric check up checklist of milestones for 30+ years. It didn’t matter what order they did them in - but it did matter if they couldn’t do them or still struggled to do them by a certain age.  And the age was a fairly wide range of normal. 

Edited June 11 by Murphy101

[wintermom]

One of my 4 dc was a 'bum scooter' up to the age of 18-months, at which time he broke an arm and could no longer maneuver this way. Within one day he was up and walking. As far as I know, he has no delays of any kind and never did. He's currently 20, very physically active and doing well in his civil engineering program. 

At the time, his bum scoot was a blessing because I was so busy chasing the other 3 dc that having one 'safe and stationary' kid was great! Once he was up an doing the zombie walk with one arm in a big cast, he was falling and getting bruises way more. 

Edited June 9 by wintermom

[SKL]

One of mine did crawl but a bit oddly.  She was diagnosed with retained primitive reflexes around age 5 or 6, and did some therapy.  It's hard to say whether this has had lasting results, because people are complex, but I'll say ... maybe?

I would get educated on retained reflexes and brain development science.  There are exercises you can incorporate into daily life to make sure they are doing things like "crossing the midline" which does impact brain development.

[SounderChick]

They need to crawl at some point like if they can walk and can't crawl playing puppy thats bad.  But its not on the milestone chart for a reason kids do it all sorts of times. My oldest only bear crawled as a baby for locomotion but she had no trouble as a toddler

[Terabith]

My youngest was early on all her milestones.  I don't remember when she started crawling.....I know she was crawling by five months or so, and I think she army crawled a bit before that.  At one point she was doing a janky crawl where she used two hands and one knee and the foot on the other leg to get around, and that freaked me out enough that I had early intervention come out and evaluate.  They laughed at me and said it was completely fine.  She did do standard crawling for a good bit, and then she walked/ ran at nine months.  

My older child bear crawled (alternating hands and feet, but wouldn't put knees on the ground).  Honestly, this seemed like a less painful way to crawl and like the best of both worlds.  

I think kid benefit from doing crawling games and activities for a LONG time, like up through early elementary.  We encouraged lots of crawling obstacle courses and tunnels and games.

[lewelma]

we call them "bum shufflers" here. 🙂

[Terabith]

18 minutes ago, lewelma said:

we call them "bum shufflers" here. 🙂

Like Bluey was!

[pehp]

My daughter never crawled, she only scooted on her little bottom until one day she stood up and walked—at 18 months old. No OT, no PT….she is a fantastic classically trained ballerina now, so I know that not crawling was not a problem for her! Interestingly, she didn’t read until she turned 9, and then suddenly she was plowing through chapter books. She is extremely clever and makes very good grades now. 

[Eos]

On 6/9/2024 at 6:55 AM, HomeAgain said:

And everything was pretty okay up until he was 12, caught Covid, and his muscle memory for certain things slipped away for a while -

I didn't realize this was a thing. How stressful!

[HomeAgain]

1 hour ago, Eos said:

I didn't realize this was a thing. How stressful!

Extremely so.  He was already having a bad year, and watching everything he loved slip away from him and be a hundred times more frustrating because he had the memory of a goldfish at the time.......it was a struggle.  He never picked back up the violin because of how painful that was to feel so off and incapable.  Handwriting still gets work with grooved books that force consistency now that we've recorrected his grip.  We encouraged him to take up basketball(easy to do alone, the dribbling is good for development) and give up baseball (teammates depend on coordinated accuracy).  Other things, like maths and languages, those came back after about a year but he was able to compensate until the fog lifted because we put him back two levels behind where he had been working. 

He never was the most coordinated kid.  He had to work for small gains that came more naturally to others. Covid just brought more challenges for a while than we thought there would be.

 

[pinball]

On 6/8/2024 at 5:23 AM, hi.im.em said:

Looking for real world experiences. Online searches range from 'nothing to worry about' to 'its a developmental delay that may cause huge issues later'. Did your dc bottom scoot, three point crawl etc? How are they now? do you think it was a sign of something more or just a quirk? did you seek therapy? did anything work? (at 7 months it would seem that the way she crawls will be difficult to change as she's been at it for months). 

No way would I rely on anecdotal evidence to reassure me and do nothing else about child development issues.

Asymmetrical crawling/other variations can indicate a developmental issue and should be evaluated. 

If it was me, I’d call both my pediatrician and my state early intervention program and get an evaluation.
 

 

[hi.im.em]

5 hours ago, pinball said:

No way would I rely on anecdotal evidence to reassure me and do nothing else about child development issues.

Asymmetrical crawling/other variations can indicate a developmental issue and should be evaluated. 

If it was me, I’d call both my pediatrician and my state early intervention program and get an evaluation.
 

 

NHS over here in the UK - 'as long as they are getting around, they are fine.. any problems will be picked up at school..' etc etc

[hi.im.em]

Just now, hi.im.em said:

NHS over here in the UK - 'as long as they are getting around, they are fine.. any problems will be picked up at school..' etc etc

I'm obviously going to be on high alert for any other indicators and push for evaluation if anything else feels off - which it doesn't for now. 

[pinball]

1 hour ago, hi.im.em said:

NHS over here in the UK - 'as long as they are getting around, they are fine.. any problems will be picked up at school..' etc etc

Are you not allowed to take your child to an OT on your own?

[SKL]

2 hours ago, hi.im.em said:

NHS over here in the UK - 'as long as they are getting around, they are fine.. any problems will be picked up at school..' etc etc

That's what the ophthalmologist said about my kid's eyes, but I wasn't willing to "wait until she's failing in school" before addressing things.  Though, in her case, it was clear to me that "something was off."  Asynchronous milestones etc.

[wisdomandtreasures]

One of mine would get down on one knee and pull himself forward with the leg with the knee up.

Edited June 13 by wisdomandtreasures
Benadryl-induced comment made no sense

[hi.im.em]

11 hours ago, wisdomandtreasures said:

One of mine would get down on one knee and pull himself forward with the leg with the knee up.

this is what mine does. Does your dc have learning difficulties?

[wisdomandtreasures]

9 hours ago, hi.im.em said:

this is what mine does. Does your dc have learning difficulties?

Nope! 🙂