Do you think boys with autism look alike?
Posted on December 20th, 2011 by Beth
Okay, I’m going to need your help with this one. Those of you who have been following the Easter Seals and autism blog know that I am blind — I use a talking computer to moderate this blog. I have no way of judging the results of the study I’m going to tell you about here … I’m just passing the information on to you readers to, ahem, see what you think.
A study reported in the journal Molecular Autism found that people with autism have a unique look, kind of the same way many people who have Down syndrome look alike. Researchers at the University of Missouri compared 3-D images of 64 boys with autism and 41 typically developing kids ages 8 to 12. They found that boys with autism had a broader upper face with wider eyes, a shorter middle section (including the cheeks and nose), and a broader mouth and philtrum (the cleft between the nose and upper lip).
The researchers say that if they can identify when these facial changes occur, maybe they can pinpoint when autism begins to develop in a child. Knowing that point in time might help them identify a genetic cause, a certain time when the embryo is more susceptible to an environmental factor, or both.
So what do you think? Do boys with autism look alike? And if they do, does it matter?
January 13th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Very Cool study. I have a 10 yr old on the spectrum who has some of the roundest puffy cheeks seen o felt since I was little (yes, I still have mine too) I have seen some “looks” that he has that yeah maybe so called ‘normal’ boys don’t make as often. However, facial expressions can be very difficult for someone with Autism to make. Because of the struggle they have with relating to emotions. This is one thing we at home and school work on with my son. Making the face, happy, sad, mad, surprised…and saying and knowing what they are and when they are appropriate.
So just like other dis-orders or ailments there are some similarities in physical attributes. I feel people who think they all look alike are not looking at the person or child as an individual. Most of the time, you would have NO clue that my son was diagnosed with anything until he tried to talk to you. Good Luck with your study. Hope this was a little helpful.
December 31st, 2011 at 2:01 am
Absolutely not. I have two grandsons with autism. One is 6 and the other 7. The 6 year old is severe and neither of the boys look anything alike.
December 22nd, 2011 at 12:01 am
…and the thing about that is, not all kids with autism act the same, either!
December 21st, 2011 at 5:44 pm
No. I have learned that kids I have seen at church for the past several years have autism. The only way that I am able to tell is the way they act
December 21st, 2011 at 1:28 pm
Thanks for the insight — some folks responded to this post on facebook, too, and said they don’t see similarities in the kids faces, either.
December 20th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
For the past couple years, I’ve said I believe I can detect an “autism look” in boys, but I think it has to do more with the look in the eyes rather than their face shape. My HFA son is now 9 years old, and it took a few years after he was diagnosed before I thought I could see that look in a child’s eyes that, along with their actions, made me believe they are on the spectrum.