Worried about my 16 month old DD

[Squashbuckle]

Hi all,
I'm really struggling with anxiety about my 16 month old DD, she seems so far behind all her peers and miles away from many of her milestones.
She's not yet walking unaided although she can pull herself up and cruise very confidently. Our HV thinks she might be hypermobile as she's so wobbly and has such flexible ankles.
She's also not talking. She'll babble and we'll get the odd 'mumumumum' or 'dadada' but not with any particular meaning. She'll point to something she wants but not consistently and has never really mastered waving.
She's very content to play on her own and never really tries to show me or anything or seems bothered if I join in or not. Her favourite games with me are peekaboo and row row your boat and we get lots of eye contact and smiling but she's not interested in books at all apart from turning the pages.
She's not into imaginative play at all and just likes to check things about.
I have been googling and freaking out. I tried the Mchat screening and she scored 8 and came out as high risk of autism although she is only just 16 months old and was born three weeks early.
Our HV is coming back to review her progress at the end of the month and our childminder thinks DD just needs more time. I don't know what to think and just feel sick with worry about her.

If she's a high risk on the m-chat, I would call the GP on Tuesday and ask for an appointment. Our GPs are doing appointments over the phone or by video.

Don't be put off, she needs assessing for ASD.

Thanks @JiltedJohnsJulie I will speak to our GP on Tuesday but I suspect he will advise waiting to see especially as she is on the borderline of a couple of the questions and I went for 'no' answers.
I think my biggest problem is my anxiety about her, it's ruining my time with her as I'm watching her like a hawk and trying to make her do things she clearly isn't ready for :(

Perhaps you are best asking for some help with your anxiety too. I really would push for a referral for your DD though. I've been brushed off too many times in the past and really wish I'd stood my ground and pushed for my DD.

Thanks. I will definitely make her an appointment with the GP and might make myself one too. I have been meds for anxiety before so it might be time to consider going back on them.

I think you need to seek help from a professional if your gut instinct is that something isn't right. However she doesn't sound particularly behind from what you're saying. Lots of babies are walking by 16MO but many aren't as well. My understanding is you don't really have to worry until they're 18MO unless there's anything especially unusual you're noticing about her gait or posture. She's quite on the young side for any kindof imaginative play I think. I don't think my 24MO was especially interested in this at 16MO but at 17MO she walked a clothes peg across a table like it was a man and suddenly started doing a bunch of other stuff too. Now she makes her toy lions and tigers roar and her giraffes and horses 'neighhh' (yes apparently giraffes say neigh) and we have tea parties and feed babies and cup our hands and pretend theres a bee inside it and make beds and pretend to be asleep and all sorts. Just keep really engaging with her and her toys and it'll come. If she doesn't already have these then a doll and a teaset are a great place to start. Mine also was only saying a handful of words at best at this age and now she never shuts the hell up is very chatty, picking new things up all the time and talks in simple sentences. I agree do the MCHAT but I think she's still got plenty of time yet. If she's 2 and still struggling with speech and imaginative play at this age then I'd say then is the time to really push for intervention. It's unfortunately unlikely you'll get access to much support whilst this pandemic is going on so I would just use the time to really spend a lot of one to one face to face time with her (although I'm sure you do that already) and chances are you'll be wondering what you were so stressed about in a few months and wishing she'd shut up for a few seconds and stop trying to jump/climb on everything she sees A website called www.teachmetotalk.com is great for explaining speech and some simple no pressure games you can play to try and encourage her. Enjoy her and try and enjoy this extra close time together xx

Jannt. The OPhasalrwdy done the m-chat and her Lao has come out as high risk.