You hand your toddler a toy car and instead of driving it, they flip it over and spin the wheels — for minutes at a time. You’re right to notice. Playing with the parts of toys rather than the toy itself is one of the better-documented early signs of autism, and it appears on the M-CHAT screening questionnaire for a reason. Occasional wheel-spinning is normal toddler exploration. When it becomes the main way your child plays, it deserves a closer look.
When playing with parts of toys is a red flag for autism
By around 12 to 18 months, most toddlers begin using toys functionally — rolling the car, feeding the doll, stacking the blocks to knock them down. By age two, simple pretend play usually emerges. Children with autism often interact with toys differently: they focus on a single part or property of the object rather than what it does. Spinning the wheels of an upside-down car, flipping toys over to study the underside, holding an object at eye level and rotating it, or opening and closing the same flap over and over are classic examples. Clinicians call this a preoccupation with parts of objects, and it is written directly into the diagnostic criteria for autism. The M-CHAT-R, the standard toddler screening tool used at 18- and 24-month checkups, asks about exactly this kind of play.
Context matters. Every toddler spins a wheel now and then — wheels are interesting. The pattern becomes concerning when part-focused play is your child’s dominant or only way of playing, when they resist your attempts to redirect the play, and when it shows up alongside other signs of autism such as limited pointing, reduced response to their name, or few back-and-forth smiles. No single behavior is diagnostic, but this particular one carries enough weight that it justifies a proper developmental evaluation rather than a wait-and-see approach.
What to do if you’re worried — and how ABA can help
Start by taking a short video of the play you’re seeing — it is far more useful to a clinician than a description. Then raise it with your pediatrician and ask for the M-CHAT-R if your child is between 16 and 30 months. If your child is under 3, you can also self-refer to New Jersey Early Intervention for a free developmental evaluation — no doctor’s referral or diagnosis is required. If your child is already 3 or older, your local school district can evaluate. Acting now costs you nothing; waiting can cost months of the developmental window when intervention helps most.
If your child is diagnosed, this is precisely the kind of concern ABA addresses well. A BCBA designs a plan that meets your child where they are — often starting with the wheels they love — and systematically builds functional and pretend play skills through modeling, prompting, and reinforcement. Because Autumn ABA works in your home, therapists teach play with your child’s own toys, in the same living room where the spinning happens. We serve all of New Jersey with no waitlist and accept NJ FamilyCare and most commercial plans. Book a free consultation or explore our in-home ABA services to learn what that looks like.
In-home ABA across NJ — no waitlist
BCBA-led, in-network (NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid & commercial). Free consultation & insurance check.
Schedule a free consultation Our ABA programs →Frequently asked questions
Is spinning wheels ever just normal toddler play?
Yes — absolutely. Wheels spin, and toddlers are little scientists, so brief wheel-spinning during exploration is completely typical. The difference is proportion and flexibility. A typically developing toddler spins the wheel, then rolls the car, crashes it, and hands it to you. A child showing an autism-related pattern returns to the spinning again and again, gets stuck there, and may become upset when you turn the car right-side up. If part-focused play dominates and your child rarely uses toys the way they were designed, mention it to your pediatrician.
Will ABA therapy stop my child from playing the way they enjoy?
No — good ABA does not take away what a child loves. Modern, BCBA-led ABA uses your child’s natural interests as the starting point for teaching. If your child loves spinning wheels, a therapist might begin with cause-and-effect toys that spin, then gradually expand into rolling, racing, and pretend games, reinforcing every new step. The goal is to add skills — flexible play, imitation, sharing enjoyment with you — not to punish or eliminate harmless enjoyment. Your child ends up with more ways to play, not fewer.
This page is general educational information, not medical advice. Every child is different — a BCBA can assess your child’s specific needs. Autumn ABA serves families in all 21 NJ counties; see where we provide ABA therapy.