16 month old daughter referred for iscan.

[Mummyof2under4]

My daughter born at 36+6 last year failed her 15 month review. She doesn’t always make the best eye contact, she is motor delayed, didn’t sit until 10-11 months, didn’t crawl until 13 months and is only just starting to stand with support and stand her back legs up with her arms on the floor herself now at 16 months. Obviously they correct her age still so it’s more 15 months. She doesn’t respond to her name without context (explained below). She doesn’t copy gestures often and she babbles but it’s repetitive usually “baba” she’ll use different tones and she will shout “ahhh”. She seems to stim a little but only when excited and it’s like her arms shake and her legs too. She will engage but only if we sing, if you’re and you know it, 5 little ducks and sometimes twinkle twinkle little star. She’ll smile at us. She also responds if I say “name goes clap clap clap” “name wave” or “name…peekaboo” again she’ll stop what she’s doing to look and smile at us and she’ll keep smiling and looking until we’re done. when we smile at her sometimes she’ll smile back but not always. She’s very interested in exploring and she loves to roll toys along. That’s the only way she plays. She can feed herself with a spoon and hold her cups, drink from a straw no problems. Health visitor came out last Thursday and said she doesn’t have her pincer grasp but since I’ve watched her and she has got it. Anyways health visitor came out and made referrals for everything, audiology, portage, iscan, physio. Anyway. I’m worried obviously. The health visitor said she wasn’t too concerned and a lot of her skills can be worked on she said she was mostly concerned about the lack of eye contact. What were the signs your children showed at my daughters age and did they lead to diagnosis? Thank you😊

It is brilliant the HV is on the ball and has referred. Easier said than done, but try not to panic.

It very much is easier said than done isn’t it. My first is neurotypical so this is very new for us. Thank you for your reply 😊

At that age it was extreme fussiness with food, very hard to get to sleep and stay asleep, no speech and spectacular meltdowns.

Had to look up Iscan. It doesn’t look as though we have that in our area.

yeah it’s just the pathway for an autism diagnosis I think however health visitor said my daughter doesn’t have her pincer grasp but she does, said her hearing is a zero but she does hear us lol! So I don’t know what to think. Her sleep is amazing, she eats really well and she doesn’t tantrum more than a typical toddler. She hasn’t got any intense stims or repetitive behaviours now watching her closer for a few days. Honestly it’s all very confusing. Don’t get me wrong she is socially withdrawn when we’re in a room full of people and isn’t fussed on interacting she’d rather explore and play, doesn’t make the most eye contact but she will make it, it’s a mixed bag at the moment. They’re all different aren’t they I just feel it’s too early to tell. Thank you for your response 😊

The assessment process here is done through our Community Paediatric Tean, so it sounds similar, just seems to go under a different team.

I think your HV has been incredibly supportive in doing all of those referrals. It sounds as though your DD is going to get plenty of Professionals helping her which can only be a good thing and try and remember that if she’s not got ASD she won’t get a diagnosis. It’s an assessment process and diagnosis isn’t necessarily guaranteed although we have found that the evidence needed just to get to that point was pretty significant

Yeah my health visitor is really good. She does dramatise abit but she knows it’ll get us seen faster than a “wait and see approach”. She was the same in the earlier days with weight gain concerns and also potential hip problems but with her help we got reassurance on those quickly (both were fine thankfully). I 100% agree with you I don’t even care if she does, it’s the not knowing that’s stressing me out as she’s so very young and has always been delayed anyway I just hope within the next few months it becomes more obvious one way or the other. :)

Any update?

Hi, my daughter is 22 months
old now. It’s become more obvious that she is probably on the spectrum. But she’s developed in so many areas! She has a couple words now, “dada”, “baba” and “ta”, she likes to copy back when I say “wawawa”. She will repeat those words when I ask her and use them in context. She’ll try repeat mama but she’s not quite there yet but she gives it a go! Shes become better with copying gestures and her eye contact has improved but I can still tell it’s not “typical”. She’ll answer to her name now when it suits her, which I assume is just typical toddler behaviour now lol. She’s very social and loves being social when you engage her! She’s very particular with her play and likes to lay things out infront of her, fixates on spinning toys and will stim to them spinning and she flaps when she’s excited and puts her hands over her ears when she’s stressed. She’s still motor delayed and not walking but she’s close! There is still obvious delays present but there’s been some amazing wins these last couple months! All I can say is if you’re in a similar situation to what I was at 16 months, try not to panic, it’ll be okay!

Hi was your daughter delayed with movement when she was younger? My boys sounds just like this he’s 10 months old he doesn’t roll crawl nothing!

@Dream133hi, yes she was and still is, around 10 months old she could roll both ways but she was just mastering sitting up, she was unsteady sitting up until around 12 months and didn’t crawl till 13 months and now she’s just venturing into walking at 22 months but it’s mainly cruising along furniture still. Hope that helps!

@Mummyof2under4 my boy is pretty steady when sitting but will not move. So unsure what is going on. He have been referred to iscan and physio but not really sure what it all
means! Xx