Does anyone know if skipping the crawling stage and the link to learning disabilities is a myth or proven research? i could only find one article on this and it was inconclusive. I can't remember where i heard this exactly.
I've never heard of that link and think it's probably a myth.
My MCHN said crawling is no longer even considered a developmental milestone as many bubs just skip it and go straight to walking. This change happened around the same time that the sids guidelines came into being and they think that the backsleeping might have something to do with it.
The link is supposed to be between crawling & reading - crawling develops the connections in your brain between the left & right hemispheres (or something like that). I don't know that it has been proven conclusively one way or the other. Some MCHNs have told me that crawling is really important etc, others say it doesn't matter.
I was a bit worried about DS because he only ever commando crawled - then suddenly, at 10.5 months, he just hopped up on all fours & off he went.
IMO - it's a load of crap. We had a lady come and do a talk at our antenatal class about 'tummy time' & crawling etc and it was like she was trying to brain wash us. Each to their own, as I said this is only my opinion. It's just the thing of the moment and in a year or two there will be some new research which says something completely different.
Some health professionals will scare you with this info. My DS1 commando'ed at 10 months, conventionally crawled at 11.5 and walked at 14months - he was apparently late. He started school this year and all is fine.
A girlfriends baby never rolled or crawled (bum shuffle) and didn't walk until 17 months, told her she would probably have gross motor skills, now she is nearly 6 and very coordinated thank you very much. She is also a very good reader.
My nephew also didn't crawl and didn't walk until 18 months - my poor SIL was taking him to all kinds of specialists and chiros etc she kept getting told something was wrong - but now he is nearly 5 and is fine.
Another girlfriends bub crawled at 7 months and walked at 10, is a great reader, but has absolutely no co-ordination or gross motor skills ....
Anyway, just trying to give you some examples of not putting a square peg in round holes etc.
Matilda just had a physio assessment for developmental and behavioural issues. She was assessed for Asperger's which is a form of autism and part of that is a few hours physio assessment. At that time they asked about crawling and what ages etc, I asked them "is it really that important?" And he said "Well... lets just say that those kids who skip crawling or don't do it for long, often are seen here with difficulties." Matilda crawled properly for 2 months. She commando crawled first for 2.5 months and then crawled properly and then cruised everywhere until she started walking.
There is some research done with kids with disabilities by Glenn Doman who found that kids did better by working through the different stages (crawling, creeping, walking, running) than if they were given physio/braces etc to stand before they had mastered the earlier stages.
Their therapies use a lot of patterning, and works on the theory that kids must learn each stage and each motor stage also affects other parts of the brain (visual, tactile, language etc).
There is no length of time that kids must be in each stage, just that they go through it. Some kids are able to build all the neuronal pathways necessary for that stage really quickly, whilst others take awhile longer.
I don't think i am explaining it very well, but look up Glenn Doman if you want to know more. I found his book "What to do about your brain-injured child" really interesting to read (despite the horrible title).
He said that they didn't count commando, and I asked about kids who went straight from commando to cruising (because even though Matilda crawled normally, it wasn't much). I think he meant shorter than Matilda's 2 months, because when I said that he said it was a great amount of time.
I am not an expert on the subject but as a teacher when it has come to assessing some students for things such as learning difficulties/disabilities the issue of crawling does come up. There is believed to be a relationship between crawling and patterning. That is when a child crawls they put there right arm forward and then move the left leg etc. Many students who have learning difficulties etc often have a history of not cross crawling as a child. This is not a hard and fast rule and it does not mean that nothing can be done about it. Many early childhood teachers use things such as Brain Gym exercises with their classes that focus on fine/gross motor skill development, core strength etc. Basically cross patterning through crawling establishes important links between the body and the brain.
My brain is really fried at the moment and I can't remember the name of a web site I know that goes into some great detail about the try looking up 'cross patterning and crawling' on google or something similar.
I've heard that crawling helps with a baby's spatial awareness. But again.. it wasn't a study or research paper or anything.. just something I read.
I think even if my baby skipped the crawling stage.. I'd want them to be able to crawl even if they're walking already. Ok.. hope that made sense.. LOL.
But then, kids do all sorts of things in different orders. DS sat before he rolled or crawled. DD rolled & crawled before she could properly sit or sit herself up. So I guess there wouldnt' be a difference with walking before crawling. But like I said, I'd be wanting to make sure they can crawl, even tho they walked first.
I dont think that there is any hard and fast rules about it. I have heard some of the stuff through PD's at school about crawling being related to Left brain- right brain communication, and the development of reading and motor skills.
However, I dont think you can say that they are the only contributing factors, my niece didn't crawl properly at all, she bottom shuffled and then walked, but she is the brightest button you have ever met, she talked at 18 months, can read and she has only just finished kindy and has no motor skill troubles.
There are some other excercise I have that can help with the development of the left brain- right brain stuff that I can show you when I see you this week.
An easy way to get them crawling would be (if the child is old enough of course) to play games etc that get them down on the floor and crawling. I have seen pre-school teachers doing similar thing with whole classes.
From what I have heard there is an anecdotal link with crawling and spelling... Those that "skip" the crawling phase are often not good spellers... And from people I have asked it seems to be the case. My great Aunt told me of some studies she read and was involved in (i think) as a teacher in england in the 70's on this too ...
Last edited by rufalina; December 7th, 2008 at 08:22 PM.
There was a huge thread on this about 8months ago, when i was worried Aiden would skip crawling, and go straight to walking.
Some people say it had no effect on them, (if they did skipped crawling as a baby) or, their child, some others say it did.
I do recall reading thou that, which i think may be mentioned earlier, that it does help the left and right brain co-ordinate, and work together, so, if it does, or did happen, then, like Ali said, just look at exercises and games that you can play that require the use of both sides of the brain..
Personally, i would try not to worry about it to much. I got pretty worked up about it at the time, especially as i am so un-cordinated, i was worried Aiden would be as well. But, he developed in his own sweet time, and I reckon he already has better ball throwing skills then I do
i am one of those kidlets that never crawled as a baby - i scooted on my butt to get around, and then was walking. i have no learning issues that anyone ccould label me with (i'm not artistic though if that counts!!)
I guess that whatever they find in terms of links, there are always exceptions...
I skipped crawling altogether and mum had to deal with me walking around at 9 months...
No learning difficulties here, highly academic the whole way through. Could read before I started kindy, always aced the spelling tests through primary school, maintained the top class through high school with no effort and was dux of my school with minimal effort in the senior years.
Hopefully there are enough stories here that will reassure you that there's no hard and fast rule that states your child WILL have problems if they skip crawling.
My mum used to make Oskar cry by trying to MAKE him crawl, my poor little man He did the bum shuffle.... in fact, he's only quite recently actually crawled and he's been walking for about 5 months now. Rather amusing to watch him crawl now....lol. He's had no problems with learning up to this stage and is bright and attentive, so I'd say that I can't see the link.
Link between learning disability and not crawling
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He did the bum shuffle.... in fact, he's only quite recently actually crawled and he's been walking for about 5 months now. Rather amusing to watch him crawl now....lol. He's had no problems with learning up to this stage and is bright and attentive, so I'd say that I can't see the link.
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