The average age for a girl (or any baby) to walk is around 12 months, but a wide range of 9 to 18 months is considered normal, with most children mastering independent walking by 14-15 months. While some babies start earlier, around 9 months, others take their time, and it's perfectly fine if they aren't walking independently until 18 months.
Each child develops at their own pace, and there's a wide range for when babies begin walking—9 to 18 months. The average age for walking independently is 12 to 15 months. If your baby isn't taking a few steps on their own by 15 months or isn't walking independently by 18 months of age, talk with your pediatrician.
``Most toddlers begin walking between 11-16 months of age, although some don't start until 18 months. Remember that most walking issues with toddlers resolve on their own. If, however, your child is unable to stand, support themselves, or walk by the age of 18 months, this should prompt attention from a pediatrician.''
About 90% of children can walk unassisted by 15 months of age, though the normal range for first steps is wide, typically between 9 and 18 months, with many starting between 12 and 15 months. If a child isn't walking by 18 months, it's recommended to consult a pediatrician, as this can signal a delay, but individual development varies.
If your child hasn't started walking by 18 months, it's important to discuss this with your pediatrician. Delayed walking doesn't always indicate a problem, but a pediatric physical therapist can assess your child's motor development and provide guidance on how to support their progress.
Low birth weight and prematurity are common reasons for delay in motor development. Prolonged illness or hospitalization may also cause delays due to weak muscles and overall deconditioning. For the above issues, children may benefit from physical therapy to encourage catch-up in their walking development.
Indeed, it is precisely that late walking is not specifically found to be associated with autism per se that it may be akin to one of the minor physical anomalies enumerated in complex autism, which was recently linked to a higher rate of genetic abnormalities.
Refer children who are late walkers for specialist assessment, using clinical judgement to determine the urgency, if any of the following are present: Red flag features. Delayed walking after 15 months of age for girls or 18 months for boys.
The most common signs your baby may walk soon are:
Nonperformance on Walking Tasks
Of subjects younger than 65, 3.2% (9/277) were unable to perform one or more of the CWTs, compared with 15.6% (86/553) of those aged 65 to 74, 42.7% (126/295) of those aged 75 to 84, and 77.5% (79/102) of those aged 85 and older.
Several factors may contribute to delays in a child's motor development, including prematurity, congenital factors, bone and muscle disorders, neurological issues, or overall health conditions. One of the most common causes of delayed walking is premature birth.
The "3-3-3 Rule" for toddlers is a simple mindfulness and grounding technique to calm anxiety by engaging their senses: name 3 things they can see, identify 3 sounds they can hear, and move 3 different parts of their body (like hands, feet, head). This helps shift focus from overwhelming thoughts to the present moment, acting as a "brain reset" for emotional regulation during meltdowns or stress, making it a useful tool for building emotional intelligence and control.
Baby walkers provide no substantial benefit to children, can actually delay walking, and pose significant injury risk.
Yet both are wrong: Studies show no significant differences between boys and girls when it comes to these motor skills in infancy. Both sexes generally start walking independently after turning 1, often around month 14. Still, some parents believe boys start sooner.
Push walkers are a great way to encourage walking progress. This toy allows children to engage their shoulder muscles and core strength to stay balanced and move forward. They're a great tool for developing balance while they're learning to walk.
Let us put your mind at ease: Research shows that early walkers are not more advanced or intelligent. In fact, by the time young children start school, those who started walking later are just as well-coordinated and intelligent as those who pushed off early.
Three key red flags at 12 months, indicating a need to talk to a pediatrician, include not responding to name/not babbling/not using gestures like waving, not crawling or dragging one side of the body, and not searching for hidden objects or pointing to show things, as these suggest potential delays in communication, movement, and cognitive skills.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often diagnosed with co-occurring ID (Baio et al., 2018; Fombonne, 2005; Ritvo et al., 1989), and late walking does occur in children with ASD at all cognitive levels (Reindal et al., 2020).
If your child is not walking from 18 months, and especially if you notice delays in other physical developmental milestones, we recommend bringing them in for an assessment with our team to rule out certain issues like neurological problems, problems with alignment in the lower limbs, and problems with muscle strength ...
Not Walking by 18 Months
If your baby has not begun walking by 18 months, it may be helpful to contact your GP or Health Visitor. You can have a chat and look together at your child's development as a whole and at the pathway they are following.
Key facts. Babies usually start walking sometime between about 10 and 18 months of age.
Around 90% of autism cases are attributed to genetic factors, meaning autism is highly heritable, with many different genes contributing, rather than a single cause, often interacting with environmental influences during early brain development, though specific environmental factors don't cause it but can increase risk. Twin studies show strong genetic links, with concordance rates between 60-90% in identical twins, and research points to complex interactions of many genes and prenatal/perinatal factors.
Symptoms may include:
The "6-second rule" for autism is a communication strategy where a speaker pauses for about six seconds after asking a question or giving information, giving the autistic person extra time to process it without feeling rushed, which helps reduce anxiety and allows for a more thoughtful response, reducing frustration for both parties. Instead of repeating or rephrasing, which can be confusing, you wait, and if needed, repeat the exact same words after the pause.