7month eye delay or autism by HV

[Tilly09]

Hi,
I had concerns over my DD’s eye contact and general interaction so HV came to do an observation. She is nearly 7 months old. She has a mild squint which is causing her eyes to focus and unfocus many times during the day. Therefore she has to work harder to focus. Sometimes her eyes don’t even look real it’s like she stares into thin air, then sometimes a pupil goes bigger than the other, her eyes water a lot outside, she’s always rubbing them, so there’s something particular about her eyes but we won’t know till she’s 1. HV said she thinks she could have something further called macyladivision eye delay development of vision. (Not sure on the spelling) and this could take up to 12 months to correct. Then she held her and tried to get her attention etc. My DD looked up at her then looked back down. HV said eye contact is an autistic trait and if her eye contact has not improved by 12month to be referred to a paediatrician. I’m now left so confused... I have this feeling where I know my DD wants to be involved in our family she’s always wanting to be in the same room as us and looking for us when we aren’t. She laughs at her older sister when shes jumping on the bed , saying silly sounds etc.. But then has limited eye contact... I feel like she struggles to look up and hold that position... for example:
Her Dad will be walking up the stairs and shel be nursing on me and il say where’s daddy she will immediately look at the door if she hadn’t heard him come up anyway. She will start smiling getting very excited. Then upon him walking in shel be smiling lots and whilst she’s doing this her eyes are not up at his face rather in the middle of his body. But then sometimes she will look up smile and look away so her eye contact isn’t long..

Here’s some insight to her development;
Positives she can do;
She smiled and laughed very early.
Finger feed (baby led weaned)
Roll from front to back around the room
Sit up but sometimes a bit wobbly depending on tiredness
Likes playing peekaboo and pat a cake
Understands to clap her hands when asked
Occasionally responds to her name
Understands when asked where daddy or her sister is. She will look around the room or at the door. She even knows the Alexa device so if we say Alexa shel look at it is then the device then back at us and get excited for a nursery rhyme etc
Gets seperation anxiety when left alone
Has stranger anxiety and gets upset
HV picked up that she checks in to me when she took her
When singing head and shoulders understands where her toes are and touches them

Improvements; (don’t like to call them negatives)
She has very limited eye contact
Doesn’t babble
HV said she’s quiet for her age
Doesn’t have back and forth interaction in communication except peekaboo and when not too close
Balance isnt all that good
Not much interest in other people but will watch them
Occasionally stares out at the light

I know ASD is all about the social interaction. Is it she’s interested in only her family but is missing the eye contact as she doesn’t see it as significance so can’t social interact. And I have read squints are linked with ASD. Very confused!
Any thoughts or has anyone had this experience before? And any early interventions for either to support her development ?
Much appreciated X

[AladdinMum]

Your description does seem to suggest that there is something going on with her eyes which seems to her impairing her ability to focus and hence generally gaze at objects/people, it is not autism and plain nonsense for your HV to even have suggest that. Nothing in your 'improvements' list suggests autism at this age, everything on that list is age appropriate.

[ForeverBaffled]

Your HV is talking utter nonsense. But absolutely agree that there is a visual aspect to this which sounds like will improve by a year which is great.

As an aside my DS had wretched eye contact as an infant (would actively turn his head to avoid it) and is very much not autistic. It got a lot better after he turned one.

[surreygirl1987]

If there's an eye issue then I think it's very alarmist to suggest that lack of eye contact could be symptomatic of autism in your daughter's case and I'm surprised the HV would make that suggestion to you without having had the eye issue dealt with first! I would focus on the eye issue and try to forget the suggested possibility of autism.