16 month old suspected autism

[Lou201o]

Hi everyone, this is my first thread so please be kind. My daughter is 16 months old. This is our first child. For a very long time now we and lots of others have suspected that she may be on the spectrum. I have tried to brush it off and say she’s just being a typical baby/toddler but we’re starting to notice more and more things. I’ve made a list of things that I will be mentioning to the HV but just wanted to come on here for just some support really and advise. I’m so worried that I will be turned away or looked at as if I’m mad! I just want the best for my girl and if she does infant need help and support I want her to have it as early as possible.

No eye contact at all
Doesn’t respond to her name
Enjoys her own company and won’t come up to me or dad on her own accord.
She was saying 3 words before 12 months and now has completely stopped
Rocks backwards and forwards in her cot and on the sofa.
Hand flaps and moves feet in circles when shes interested in something.
Won’t be held or cuddled, she hates only type of contact.
Closes eyes and moves head side to side when eating.
Not interested in any other children.
Gets very upset easily over things we would consider minor.
Tenses her body when she finds something interesting and opens her mouth wide
Doesn’t smile at us or smile back at us.
My partner has recently caught her banging her head into things on purpose too!
Has a comforter like most children but carries it around in her mouth for most of the day and tenses when chewing on it, we assume this is for comfort.
She also makes very loud humming noises when eating but she has always done this and this may just be her enjoying her food! Haha

Any advice/support would be much appreciated and i am sorry if I have rambled on but as I said I’ve never done anything like this before and didn’t want to miss anything out! Thankyou in advance

Also not sure how I forgot to mention as this is a big part of our concern and is very distressing for all of us. Whenever we are around big groups of people she will have a meltdown. She hates being touched by her cousins and just wants to be left alone (obviously her cousins adore her and get excited to see her but she’s not interested) she get very overwhelmed by large groups of people or even just more people than mum and dad. From a very early age as young as 6 months old We have had to leave family gatherings or social events because it’s too much for her.

Hi, my son is autistic and a lot of those signs were similar for him.

I remember being in your exact position. We were fobbed off for a long time. The best advice I got was "once you are under someone, dont let them discharge you". So we saw a paediatrician first and he was the most dismissive of them all but thankfully I refused discharge and we are still under him 5 years later.

Hopefully, you have a better services where you are.

The other best thing I have come across, and wish I had found it earlier, is a fb group called Autism Inclusivity. Ran by autistic adults who can offer better support and advice than any professional who has read a misinformed text book. I suggest you join that group ASAP and reframe any misconceptions that u may, or may not, have about autism. I joined that group a year ago and it's changed our lives.

Sounds like u are already so on it thought, she will be a lucky girl to have such aware parents xxx

@Hotpot33 Thankyou so much for replying! And Thankyou for suggesting that group I will have a little look now, sounds really helpful and it’s so nice to speak to others in the same situation. Hope your little boy is doing well and again Thankyou ☺️

Just to reassure you...because i didn't know how life was going to be when he was your daughter's age...he is doing amazing. We have our tough days, but I guess so does everyone. And he, and we, are doing a lot lot better since finding that group. Good luck with it all xxx

@Lou201o Hey I was reading your thread and I know it was a year ago but I got curious if you did find a diagnosis. My DD is 30 months old and she is my first and DH and I don't have our village if anything we are like marooned on a lonely Island when it comes to raising her. Exhausted and now worried at her speech delay (we speak two languages in the house but there are more she is lagging behind) such as not responding to names and not pointing and few more. I was just curious as to what the outcome of your DD was, since I do find similarities with my own DD. Thanks.