An Autistic 'look'?

[Mumble]

I really hope that this doesn't offend anyone...

 

I know that Autism is a 'hidden disability', but I was just wondering if there was an Autistic look, by which I mean are there certain features, looks or mannerisms that are more prevalent in the Autistic Population?

 

I wouldn't say that I 'look' Autistic, but then more than a few people who have quite a bit of knowledge of Autism and have met me have said to me that they would suspect Autism from my physical features.

 

Then, I just put my telly on and caught part of Autistic Superstars (good programme ), I saw Martin and did a double take as he looks and acts in many ways that are very similar to my brother, even in terms of things like face-shape.

 

So I guess I'm just interested - do Autistic individuals (sometimes) 'look' a particular way? Or is the diversity as much as it is in the rest of the population?

 

[baranigirl]

I think there are mannerisms I tend to notice rather than a specific 'look' not that I have always spotted them or even been right all the time!

[justine1]

I really hope that this doesn't offend anyone...

 

I know that Autism is a 'hidden disability', but I was just wondering if there was an Autistic look, by which I mean are there certain features, looks or mannerisms that are more prevalent in the Autistic Population?

 

I wouldn't say that I 'look' Autistic, but then more than a few people who have quite a bit of knowledge of Autism and have met me have said to me that they would suspect Autism from my physical features.

 

Then, I just put my telly on and caught part of Autistic Superstars (good programme ), I saw Martin and did a double take as he looks and acts in many ways that are very similar to my brother, even in terms of things like face-shape.

 

So I guess I'm just interested - do Autistic individuals (sometimes) 'look' a particular way? Or is the diversity as much as it is in the rest of the population?

I also wondered the same thing Mumble.Sam looks very different from his brothers,his face is longer not as round and his eyes sort of sunken.His posture is very diferent to.Dan has a rounder face but his head is waaaayyyyyy smaller than his three brothers,it never used to be it seemed to shrink around age 2.Also both have quite big hands.

[KezT]

Autistic people are often recognisable by "something" - usually their body language, or a gait, or the way they react to other people near them..... Not all, and some seem to grow out of it (or more probably, learn to copy NTs), but it is certainly something i have seen in lots of ASD people.

 

My son has a weird gait - I took him to physio who assured me there was nothing physical - the general agreement is that it is probably sensory. Us NT's walk like everyone else, because we were taught to do it that way and we don't like to look different to others. He seems to prefer his own way because it feels better to him, and he either doesn't care or doesn't notice that it is different to everyone else.

 

I am not at all sure about a "look" in the sense that autistic people look similar to each other/different to their NT family tho.

[Malcolm Matthews]

Not much to add to previous responses. Only that yes -- there seem to be some recognizable physical commonalities (some subtle, some obvious). For example, failure to make eye contact, twitching or squirming in social situations, stemming, etc. My wife (who is diagnosed with Asperger's and ADHD) can often tell with uncanny accuracy when a child might be on the spectrum. But most of these are behaviour-related clues. Otherwise, in my experience anyway, spectrum folks seem to run the same physical range as the general population. It's sometimes hard for us to distinguish between what we see people doing and what we see them being. The simple litmus test is this: Put ten people in a room and you might be able to tell who is on the spectrum and who isn't. If I show you photos of ten people, I think you'd be hard pressed to tell the spectrum people from the NTs.

[purplehaze]

This is very interesting as someone has just mentioned a few weeks ago-I work with children with autism and my son has it-as my son goes to a outreach school group from a special school he often comes into work to be picked up and one of the parents said to me (when we were talking about autism in general) that she thinks children with autism have a specific look about them and she turned to me and said "I'm not being rude but your son has this blank look about his face like most children with autism" like he is in another world! I have never realy thought about it or even noticed TBH but I supose I kind of know what she is saying-he isn't that interested in anyone at work so kind of looks like he is somewhere else or looking through them IYKWIM!

 

[trekster]

Permanent smile on their face, walks with feet slightly bent outwards, one of my friends described that he "waddled like a duck", staring or avoiding eye contact no matter how they felt at the time.

[lizj]

I think it is the lack of eye contact that makes ASD children stand out from others. and the fact that they are often dyspraxic, which leads to that distinctive way of moving.

But I have to add (slightly tongue in cheek) that at my son's special school, nearly every boy had glasses, "difficult" hair and large ears! There was a definite "look" to them.

[justine1]

I think it is the lack of eye contact that makes ASD children stand out from others. and the fact that they are often dyspraxic, which leads to that distinctive way of moving.

But I have to add (slightly tongue in cheek) that at my son's special school, nearly every boy had glasses, "difficult" hair and large ears! There was a definite "look" to them.

Funny you mention the hair Sam has the most annoying hair!As a baby it was unbrushable,it was all tangled in a ball on top of his head,we look at the pictures and laugh soooooooooo much!!!We shave it now but it seems to cling to his head.He doesnt have large ears or glasses though,my eldest son has both these qualities

[Jannih]

I think it is the lack of eye contact that makes ASD children stand out from others. and the fact that they are often dyspraxic, which leads to that distinctive way of moving.

But I have to add (slightly tongue in cheek) that at my son's special school, nearly every boy had glasses, "difficult" hair and large ears! There was a definite "look" to them.

 

 

The large ears can be associated with Fragile X . A number of people with ASD have the fragile X gene and there are a list of physical characteristics which go with this condition.

[darky]

The hair thing, I do wonder. Very static, double crown, sticks up. Gait definately, clumsy, awkward movements. Not sure about a "look" though. I take it the person meant facial features?

[tjw]

with my son who is 7 he walks on tiptoes so yes his walk is different and when he runs he looks realy clumsy, so people would pick up on this, hair he has always had loads of it the crown is a double so we always shave it, plus he sweats alot so it helps with his temp, as for looks i dont know he has quite a big head but that could just be how it is, no eye contact is the give away i would say,

theresa

great topic mumble

Edited May 20, 2010 by tjw

[Lynden]

I'm not sure. 80% of the school population at my sons school have ASD (its a school for severe learning difficulties) and they all look very different. With Logan you can 100% tell from his mannerisms but not from his looks I don't think. He is a striking looking boy though (and thats not just me being a biased parent . One thing I have noticed though is that he and some of his peers has this look of innocence about him that other 7 year old boys (or 8 year olds in my daughters class) don't have.

 

Lynne

[purplehaze]

He is a striking looking boy though (and thats not just me being a biased parent .

 

This is very interesting because people say this about my son and the children I work with just have something about them that is just so gorgeous! When I was writing my dissertation on autism I came across some research that suggested that a lot of children with autism are handsome which makes/helps people to want to socialise with them or try to break into their world! I'm not sure what I think about it but it was interesting!

[baranigirl]

have similar comments about my DD3, dunno if she is on the spectrum mind!

[Bluesbreaker]

i would and wouldn't entirely say people look 'Autistic' or 'Aspergers'...

 

Being diagnosed with AS myself, i find that as much as i like to be different, i want to 'look' the same as everyone else, so i try and walk the same, which is challanging because of a mysterious lump on my ankle which even the doctors can't tell what it is... so that makes walking painful, as well as being (most likely) flat footed... so that went out the window, lol...

 

i try and talk the same, however, for a long time i spoke out of one side of my mouth, but now i don't so i look a bit more 'ordinary' when i speak.

 

it is a challenge without 'looking' like i have a disability i know it sounds lazy in a sense, but it means that i have to explain it to people, which i don't mind doing, but it feels labourious and.... well upsetting if i have to keep repeating it..

Edited May 21, 2010 by Bluesbreaker

[trekster]

This is very interesting because people say this about my son and the children I work with just have something about them that is just so gorgeous! When I was writing my dissertation on autism I came across some research that suggested that a lot of children with autism are handsome which makes/helps people to want to socialise with them or try to break into their world! I'm not sure what I think about it but it was interesting!

 

One of the relationships books mentions that about asperger males being very attractive.

[Malcolm Matthews]

One of the relationships books mentions that about asperger males being very attractive.

For what it's worth, my oldest son, a droopy eyelid notwithstanding, is exceptionally handsome; the four-year old is universally acknowledged as one of the cutest kids anyone has ever seen, and my Aspie wife is a former model. Our NT middle child and my Aspie brother-in-law are pretty average-looking. I'm neuro-typcial and ugly as a bowling shoe. So for my family anyway, there's no real correlation between the way the mind works and the way the face looks!

Edited May 25, 2010 by Malcolm Matthews

[Special_talent123]

autistic looks, no its hidden disability- but we are known to look younger than my age. I apparently look 17 but i am 20.

 

But with dyspraxia the walking in my case is a problem people recognise i have that problem as i am stiff and thats why the target me

[trekster]

autistic looks, no its hidden disability- but we are known to look younger than our age. I apparently look 17 but i am 20.

 

But with dyspraxia the walking in my case is a problem people recognise i have that problem as i am stiff and thats why the target me

 

i could tell you were autistic even without you speaking or walking by your body language.

[baddad]

Not a comment on the autistic 'look' but on the suggestion that autistic people (males?) being very attractive...

Simply not true. I've seen tons of autistic kids and they run the full gamut from pug-fuggly to garjuss, just the same as other kids do.

As for the 'autistic look' i posted this a week or so ago, so have copy pasted to save time:

 

That's not to say that some peoples behaviour isn't 'symptomatic' of autism, but that doesn't necessarily make them autistic. What you're talking about is no more reliable than 'gaydar' or something like that, and while I think most people's gaydar would pick up on someone like Alan Carr or Julian Clary it would not be so reliable with someone like, say, Jeremy Clarkson......

Which is not to say or even to suggest in any way that Jeremy Clarkson is gay - and even if he is wot of it? - but the simple recognition that he or someone like him could be, despite not fitting the stereotypes that are usually applied to gay men.

L&P

 

BD

 

 

[chris54]

My wife never realised that an old friend of mine from before we were together way gay. She had known him for years and never realized and I never gave it any thought that she didant know.

There's a youngish chap at work that all the new women fancy, you have to let them down gently that they have no chance.

[MelowMeldrew]

I would have no idea what an autistic would look like, no more than I could identify someone deaf or with mental illness, even behaviour would not ring any immediate 'bell' that says yes that is an autistic, I think going by image alone is quite pointless, because we tend to relate by assuming the image is 'similar' to what our children display, but they could mean something else entirely. Assumptions can also offend !

[Special_talent123]

trekster you can't with me, i hide my traits and the staff cant even see my traits. So you wouldnt be able to in public.

 

the walking is around dyspraxia

[trekster]

Not a comment on the autistic 'look' but on the suggestion that autistic people (males?) being very attractive...

Simply not true. I've seen tons of autistic kids and they run the full gamut from pug-fuggly to garjuss, just the same as other kids do.

As for the 'autistic look' i posted this a week or so ago, so have copy pasted to save time:

 

 

L&P

 

BD

 

i was quoting from another book unless that book was trying to deceive me?

[trekster]

trekster you can't with me, i hide my traits and the staff cant even see my traits. So you wouldn't be able to in public.

 

the walking is around dyspraxia

 

 

i could tell with you, just by looking at your photo!

[trekster]

My wife never realised that an old friend of mine from before we were together way gay. She had known him for years and never realized and I never gave it any thought that she didant know.

There's a youngish chap at work that all the new women fancy, you have to let them down gently that they have no chance.

 

Now detecting gays thats another matter something that tends to escape my radar and 2 of my closest friends are not hetero.

[trekster]

I would have no idea what an autistic would look like, no more than I could identify someone deaf or with mental illness, even behaviour would not ring any immediate 'bell' that says yes that is an autistic, I think going by image alone is quite pointless, because we tend to relate by assuming the image is 'similar' to what our children display, but they could mean something else entirely. Assumptions can also offend !

 

Why is it offensive to be called autistic?

[KezT]

Why is it offensive to be called autistic?

 

it's not (although if you are trying to hide it in certain circumstances, it would be embarressing to be "found out".

 

But, for example, there is a mother at the school with a very similar gait to my son's. She may well get offended if i assumed that she was autistic because of that gait - which in her case is caused by a physical problem with her hip.

 

Ditto for the bloke at work who has a glazed look in his eyes whenever I talk to him, and doesn't seem to understand what I am saying - he may just not be interested in listening to me and would likely be offended if I suggested that he was autistic, and could well have a legitimate complaint against me.

 

I am very uncomfortable with the idea that their is a physical look to a neurological condition. There are a number of physical co-morbids which may have a "look" but "pure" autism is hidden. And to suggest that you can dx an ASD from the way someone looks is insulting tbh.

[Martin Howe]

Unless somebody can come up with a plausible explanation to disprove the "autistic look", I'd have to say it correleates with my own experiences well. Even today I still get weird catcalls from kids (i.e., people aged 15-25) merely by walking past them, catcalls that have the same tone as the "hey look at the weirdo" stuff I remember kids using in primary school.

 

A lot of it is from girls or young women too, who in the past at school or further education college - so we are even talking young women not just girls - would often attempt to "adopt the wierdo as a sort of pet or mascot"; of course none of it was sexual or romantic, though often they'd pretend to "try it on" to see how I reacted.

 

On that note, I think to say autistic people are handsome, particularly men, is misleading; rather they seem to have a childlike innocence and on some level girls/women want to "mother" them. Speaking as a member of another forum where we had a "show your true face" thread, not only does that hold true for a lot of the men, many of the women on the spectrum look really really cute, like a "awwww" kitten picture, and I would imagine for the same reason. I have certainly always fancied cute, rather than glamourous women, to be sure.

 

Finally, there was this guy who used to live near me and every day on my way to work, I'd see him walk to his car, muttering to himself and apparently in a world of his own, get into his car and drive it away. He seemed to cope with driving safely, but on the pavement seemed to rely entirely on instinct as to whether anybody was about, could hear him or what. It was almost as if driving is a high danger thus more caution but as a pedestrian there's less danger so can relax a bit. I used to think "poor sod". LOL, it never occured to me that others saw me like that

 

Images: Am I autistic? You decide!

 

(Oddly enough, while learning to drive and passing my test over the last two years, my hazard awareness as a pedestrian has improved somewhat as well).

Edited May 26, 2010 by Martin Howe

[KezT]

is there an age limit on this "look" that tells you someone is autistic? If I post photos of three babies, can you tell me which one has an ASD? or at 5 yrs old? 10? 20? 50?

 

we can easily test this theory out. I can look out photo's of three members of my family at the same age, and see how many of you get the DX right. Anyone want to try?

[Mumble]

Hi Kez

 

I'm really sorry if I've offended you (or others) with starting this thread. It wasn't my intention to cause offence at all, as I said in my OP, the question came from seeing the boy on Autistic Superstars and thinking really doing a double take as he looked exactly like my brother.

 

However, I think my question's been answered for me in terms of a number of the replies here: it seems to be much more about mannerisms (for instance) than actual image. When we see something on TV or a person in real life, I don't think it's possible to separate the 'image' from the 'behaviour' - they work together in creating our initial impressions of a person.

 

So, I would assume that there may be some mannerisms that might be seen more amongst the Autistic population, whether they are due to Autism per se or to co-morbids, particularly dyspraxia. As all of us are quite Autism aware, we would probably be more likely to pick these out and potentially think that Autism might be a reason. Other people may just see something slightly different.

 

I think there may, for some individuals. be some truth in us looking younger than we are (I certainly do), but that can't be characterised as an 'Autistic look' because unless you know how old someone is, you can't know that they look younger than they are, so in terms of first looking at someone, that couldn't contribute to thinking they may have an ASD.

 

As for ASD males being attractive , erm... ... no. The few ASD males I know cover the full spectrum of attractiveness (and of course what individuals find attractive is subjective anyway) in the same way as for the rest of the population. Was it an ASD male by any chance who claimed ASD males were attractive?!

 

[KezT]

mumble - I wasn't offended by your original question, which I answered early on.

 

But I did find some of the replies slightly worrying.

[Suze]

Why is it offensive to be called autistic?

....Trekster I don,t believe the poster was implying it was offensive to be called autistic.

 

 

[MelowMeldrew]

Why is it offensive to be called autistic?

 

It is not offensive, but you could be labelling someone autistic that has an entirely different issue, or not autistic at all, you would not call a blind person a deaf one, it's just identifications being accurate that's all, you can read topics here where people assume they or others are autistic or not, it's nothing to do with 'face value'. First impressions are invariably wrong anyway.... In our heavily PC and over-sensitive world, we might all just as well walk around gagged.... we won't be right for other s interpreting it wrongly.

[crossouttheeyes]

i don't think anyone i know would guess i had it if i didn't tell them, and i don't think anyone who knows me and don't know i have it would have guessed. people just think i'm a bit shy and a bit weird (which i do nothing to hide with how i look) is all. i have no idea if there is an "autistic look" but i doubt i have it if there is.