Does this mean autism?

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My 17-month-old nephew walks on his tiptoes when toddling around. Does this mean he's autistic, or is it a thing most babies at that age typically do?
He doesn't have any other autism signs, but then again, neither did I at that age (but I never toe walked either).

Here is the Mayo Clinic's article on toe-walking. The article begins as follows:

I did look it up on Google but I just wanted to mention it here too, as it's interesting that all these autism symptoms seem typical behaviours in NT toddlers and it makes me not understand how some Aspies get diagnosed at like 2 or before even if they're developing well.

I'd say give it a couple of more years, some people wouldn't have noticeable symptoms at 17 months. Maybe around the age of 3 or 4 is when you would more likely notice any symptoms. I do feel it might be a little early to tell, then again each person is different.

The main reason they can get diagnosed is that they are NOT developing well, or meeting developmental milestones on the usual schedule.

When I was 5 months old my (Autistic) mom knew I was something, but she didn't know about Autism. I would sit for hours by myself and stack rings. She knew most babies couldn't sit at 5 months and they did not focus like that. I suspected when my daughter was 3 months old that she was something. I didn't know I was Autistic and I didn't know about Autism. But again, I knew there was something about her. I could see all the other children, squirming and cooing but not her. I was moving a sound-maker from her left to her right ear and she was so focused. No expression on her face, laser focus. At three months! None of the babies in my mom's groups did that. It continued. At two years she would sit at a puppet show as still as a rock and all the other kids would be wiggling and moving around. On the swings at 1.5 years she would not squeal, she would not cry (she's the unexpressive ASD type, I am the expressive ASD type). She watched Everything. She was touch adverse. On and on and on. When she was 3 I told my daycare provider I suspected she was Autistic (her son had been diagnosed) but of course I was told "no". (All of us not realizing yet that I was Autistic.)

We only walk on our toes when the floor is cold or we are super excited. I don't think it was a notable thing. That said, my first boyfriend walked on his toes: he was 18 at the time. He went on to be an algorithmic trader. I wonder that he's on the spectrum. Apparently it hasn't occurred to him, but he wasn't surprised to find out that I am Autistic. He knew I was some sort of "crazy" or "special".

Wishing your nephew well.

Well having behaviours that stand out from the rest is different, but I mean Aspie toddlers that are social and developing at the same rate as their peers and don't stand out. There are so many odd behaviours toddlers can have as part of their developing personalities that might be unique to them, but if a toddler has enough peculiar behaviours then that can be an indicator of something.

But you can't always be sure until they're at least 2, and even that's only if they noticeably stand out from the rest enough for parents and teachers to draw attention to.
When my cousin (now 18 and definitely 100% NT) was a baby I remember she started crawling at 8 months but would only crawl backwards right up until she took her first steps at about 12 months. No-one knew why she crawled backwards like that, it was quite strange at the time but that was probably just a unique trait she had, as all babies are individuals.

Awwww, too cute. It made sense to your cousin somehow, physically, mentally. Where's that baby translator when we need it?

My daughter didn't crawl: She sat (early), then she stood (early) and then she walked (early). Nary a crawl. After I read theories about lack of crawling related to ASD, I created a game called "crawl tag" (my daughter was 8 or so by then, we could walk on the hardwood, but crawled on all carpeted surfaces) which we played for a year or two. My poor kids: experimental OT at home with mom. When my daughter was not diagnosed with Autism, the evaluator kept saying I was a great (Autistic) mom. Fantastic, now just give my daughter the proper diagnosis please to validate our daily suffering and herculean efforts.

Off Topic (since you are talking about a nephew, possible NT at that).Trigger warning as I get up on my virtual Soap box: HELLO ASD Psychiatric community change how you evaluate girls!! !! !! !! and esp. those of Autistic mothers!! !! ! Sigh. I really need to start advocating IRL.

It can be an Autism thing, but you need a lot more than that for it to be Autism.