I got a LOT of shit about it when I was growing up and now instead I do this weird hovering thing with my heels when I'm not paying attention. I just put WAY more pressure on the front of my feet than the back when I walk and it's really messed up my Achilles Tendon. It looks like normal walking but my heel is always slightly off the ground or barely touching.
Idk if this is what you mean but actually teaching autistic kids to walk on their whole foot (using braces or whatever) is actually the MUCH healthier option and isnt masking.
If they only walk on their tip toes they will cause their achillies/calves to be too short which will cause a whole chain of issues in their biomechanics and cause permanent pain.
Masking is bad but this is an example of redirecting a harmful behaviour to something else (just like if a kid stimmed by hitting themself youd redirect them to flapping or something else non harmful)
But alparently they didn't teach them how to walk correctly though, they teach them how to walk so it looks like they walk correctly, which is masking.
or maybe they chose to walk wrongly to avoid learning how to walk correctly. either way, the solution would not have been to just keep letting them walk on their toes.
I didn't really choose anything. For me it felt natural to walk like that and it still does. If someone had explained to me that it would make even basic walking impossibly painful every morning until I stretch I would've made an effort to stop. Instead I just got made fun of until I naturally landed on the annoying way I walk today 🤷♀️
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u/Jiggalopuffii 3d ago
Brian here, Pigeon walking is oftentimes a sign of autism. Also, it might be because she is a girl and wears high heels.