Concerns about toddler - Autism

[Emeraldcleo123]

Hey folks
I know there are lots of posts about this and I'm sorry for probably asking the same questions.
I have had concerns about my son since he was a young baby, he's now 19 months. I can't quite put my finger on and I go back and forth from one week to the next wondering if I should be concerned or not.
Whenever I google (I know I shouldn't!!) any of my concerns it always seems like the same answer comes up.
My main issues are name response, eye contact and what you would call joint attention. It seems other areas that I worried about there have been some improvements.
His name response is extremely hit and miss with a lot of the time completely ignoring his name. His eye contact has always been fleeting though he will look at you but just for a second or so. It seems everyone else I know with kids the same age they hold eye contact for ages and always looking to make it!!
The joint attention bit he was never really a baby or toddler who showed you things. But he will point at stuff he wants all the time and he does bring me things but it's only to get me to help him with it, or to play with him. But on the other hand he does point at our cats and airplanes etc but then doesn't look at you to see if you are looking at it as well.
It's all very confusing!! I asked the HV and GP on a few different occasions when he was around 1 but I think they just thought I was a neurotic mother. i have been put off going back but have an appointment with HV at the end of this month.
Has anyone been in a similar situation with the above and it's just that's the way the kid and not all kids respond to name etc and no reason to be concerned.
Sorry for the long post and the rambling but it just feels difficult to explain. he just seems different to the other kids the same age and I worry. Xx

[gingerh4ir]

have you done the m-chat? if it flags up anything I would discuss it with the GP.

Have you had a hearing test? always worth checking the hearing out.

[gingerh4ir]

www.m-chat.org/mchat.php

[Emeraldcleo123]

Hi, yeah the one thing I managed to get was a hearing test. They said there was no issues with his hearing.
I've done the mchat a couple times and it's always the name response and the pointing to share attention bit that is the concerns. Apparently those are critical items!! When I mentioned this to doctor and HV they just acted like they hadn't even heard of that screening tool and that I was talking nonsense.

[StarlightMcKenzee]

Go to sites with symptoms of atypical development. Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia etc. and write down every one that you think might apply to your child. Don't attempt to diagnose, but for every symptom you list, write next to it, one, or preferably two real life recent examples.

Take the list and give it to the GP (keeping a copy for yourself) and ask for a referral to a developmental paediatrician to assess/investigate the courses of the symptoms.

The GP will hopefully not refuse you with such compelling evidence as will not want to be accused of missing this later when there are such obvious signs.

Good luck.

[StarlightMcKenzee]

My son was referred at 19 months and we got a working diagnosis at 2 years 2.5 months. Don't let anyone tell you it is too early. In US average dx is 14 months and early intervention begins then.

[FrayedHem]

I think you need a Speech and Language Assessment as they will (or should!) recognise the significance of name response and joint attention. You should be able to self-refer to either by a drop-in clinic or ringing/online referral.