i'm kind of worried :(

ok so lately I have noticed that my ds likes to line up his toys in a nice neat line.

This morning I took him to the pool, some kids had some water pistols there and my ds was more interested in lining them up rather than playing with them :( I kept trying to encourage him to come swim with me but he stayed with the water pistols. once the kids left with the water guns, he was happy to come swim with me.

Sometimes when he plays with his cars, he lines them all up in a neat row.

Is this something to be worried about or is this normal behaviour??

I am not sure why, but ever since he was born i have been paranoid about him having some sort of sensory disorder like aspergers or something and it is one of the reasons why I didn't get him immunised for the MMR.

should i seek help or not? His dr (who has an autistic son) told me, when i asked her about the immunisations, that my ds is not autistic and he plays normally etc when we are in the dr office, but i'm still worried cause sometimes he seems very distracted by one thing and when I call his name while he is distracted he will not even acknowlege me calling out to him.

what should I do??

"when in doubt, get it checked out".

My BIL does the same thing (now 9) and he has aspergers. Doesnt mean your DS does.. could just be his "thing" to line them all up.

I was a bit worried about DSS a while back for the same reason.. DSS used to line up his toys and would prefer to play alone than with other kids but he is fine.. He still to this day lines up his cars though.. DP lines up his shoes and mine, lines up things on the bench.. Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much, just keep an eye on him..

While this behaviour is typical of a child on the ASD, on its own it really doesn't mean anything beyond a little quirk. I had some worries of my own about DS at one point, and I did a HEAP of research on ASD's, and became very aware of what the signs are- its probably a good idea to have a little search around on the internet and see if you think your DS has any other signs which might lead to concern. A word of caution though- once you start looking, you find ASD signs in EVERYTHING, and its very easy to get paranoid where there i no cause to be. My suggestion is to write down your concerns as they arise and then take them to your doctor, who can refer you to a paediatrician for an initial assessment.

Don't worry, it really probably is just a quirk- yay for a tidy boy!!!!

:

---

While this behaviour is typical of a child on the ASD, on its own it really doesn't mean anything beyond a little quirk. I had some worries of my own about DS at one point, and I did a HEAP of research on ASD's, and became very aware of what the signs are- its probably a good idea to have a little search around on the internet and see if you think your DS has any other signs which might lead to concern. A word of caution though- once you start looking, you find ASD signs in EVERYTHING, and its very easy to get paranoid where there i no cause to be. My suggestion is to write down your concerns as they arise and then take them to your doctor, who can refer you to a paediatrician for an initial assessment.

Don't worry, it really probably is just a quirk- yay for a tidy boy!!!!

---

Amber I have to agree.

I have done some research in my career and have come to my own conclusion that we all must have a little bit of aspergers in us as we all have little quirks or signs of it just not on the big scale of things.

Hopefully he is just a tidy boy but get him checked up if you are concerned.

I asked exactly this question when my DD was 2yo. I noticed her lining toys up and colour co-ordinating them or organising things into set piles. She was also very very repetitious (sp?) and liked to stick very close to her routine (even down to the same bowl and cup each day for meals).Additionally her daycare teacher asked me if her hearing was ok because they needed to make eye contact with her for her to follow instructions etc. Needless to say I was worried!!! I took her to a paed and because she only displayed those characteristics and everything else was "normal" then he wasn't concerned. DD always had excellent speech developement, attention to detail and could interact with others no worries.

To this day she likes routine, she lines things up and I still have to make eye contact with her to get any form of response.

It doens't hurt to get things checked out but at the same time try not to freak out. Have a look at other aspects of yours sons abilities and development too.

ok thanks for all of your replies ladies. I'm starting to think i may be just a tad paranoid :(

His speach is excellent (well beyond an average 2 yr old) and he is normal in all other ways (he interacts well with other kids etc).

I will do some research though just to ease my mind a bit i think (although i am queen of paranoid so not sure how much it would help), but like u said amberj it really shouldn't mean anything on its own, and thanks for saying that it has put me at ease a little more :)

My little cousin used to do this til recently. He must have grown out of it.

The matchbox cars used to have to be in a perfect line and no one else was allowed to touch them. Same with his Thomas trains etc. Now it doesnt bother him - they can be as messy as anything !

Just a quirky little thing !

I actually think its quite common behaviour - especially boys with their cars ;)

DS does it and has from an early age, and I remember being concerned - and although he is a strange little creature - i don't think he has any sensory issues.