Independent ambulation is one of the most important motor skills in typically developing toddlers. Gait analysis is a key evaluation method in basic and clinical research. A narrative review on the literature of toddler gait development was conducted following inclusion criteria, explicitly including the factors of English article, age range, no external intervention during the experimental process of studies involved, the non-symptomatic toddler, and no pathological gait. Studies about toddlers’ morphological, physiological, and biomechanical aspects at this developmental stage were identified. Remarkable gait characteristics and specific development rules of toddlers at different ages were reported. Changes in gait biomechanics are age and walking experience-dependent. Gait patterns are related to the maturation of the neuro and musculoskeletal systems. This review thus provides critical and theoretical information and the nature of toddler walking development for clinicians and other scientific researchers. Future studies may systematically recruit subjects with more explicit criteria with larger samples for longitudinal studies. A particular design could be conducted to analyze empirically before practical application. Additionally, the influence of external interventions on the development of toddler gait may need consideration for gait development in the toddler cohort.

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) could influence the neuromuscular response and adjustment to external sensory discrimination and lead to disruptions in daily locomotion. The objective of the current study was to compare plantar loadings and foot balance during walking, running and turning activities in SPD children in order to reveal the behavioral strategy of movement and balance control. Six SPD children and six age-match healthy controls participated in the test using a FootScan plantar pressure plate. The time-varying parameters of forces, center of pressure and foot balance index were analyzed using an open-source one-dimensional Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM1d) package. No difference was found in foot balance and plantar loadings during walking, while limited supination–pronation motion was observed in the SPD children during running and turning. The plantar forces were mainly located in the midfoot region while less toe activity was found as well. Findings should be noted that SPD children had limited supination–pronation movement for shock attenuation in the foot complex and reduced ankle pronation to assist push-off and toe gripping movements. Understanding the behavior of plantar loading strategy and balance control during walking, running and turning activities may provide clinical implications for the rehabilitation and training of daily tasks.