Stephanie Report post Posted July 19, 2006 I met with my Community Care Worker the other week so she could introduce herself and let me know what is available to disabled kids in the community etc. She made a comment about the facial characteristics and hair colour of kids on the spectrum. She said that she could spot ASD kids a mile away because they all looked the same, that ASD and Aspergers were different, most had a certain hair and eye colour from the other. I thought at the time that this was rubbish, as most ASD kids I have met look remarkably different. My son is blonde haired and blue eyed yet some other ASD kids I have met have had darker hair and eyes. The only thing I had noticed is how handsome all the ASD kids I have met are, the only negative thing I could see is that some looked a bit pale. Now it is making me wonder, is there a certain "look" that these children are supposed to have?? Could I diagnose between HFA and Aspergers on this theory?? Is this woman just talking rubbish or is there some fact in this?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Report post Posted July 19, 2006 OMG Sorry Stephanie, I am not laughing at you but at this crazy Community Care woman. I don't think I have ever heard anything so bizarre in my life. Mind you, if she does have this amazing "super ability" she could sure save local authorities a lot of money & parents a lot of waiting time - she could line the kids up & provide an instant dx, thus cutting out all those pesky paeds, psychs and SaLTs. Love it, that's made my day that has. I went to a party last week - all the kids there were either on the spectrum or siblings of kids on the spectrum & it was only by careful observation that you could really "pick out" the ASD kids & then it was more because of the occasional bit of hand flapping or errant noises etc rather than an appearance thing. BTW your lad is blonde and blue eyed, The Boy is browny blonde hair, brown eyes & olive skinned - looks quite italian TBH altho me and daddy are both English born and bred. Sorry, still chuckling at this one............. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jb1964 Report post Posted July 19, 2006 Hi, Don't know about hair colour or eyes - but I remember when the CPN first saw my daughter - she said she suspected AS within the first 10mins of meeting her - by her posture, gait etc. That she was too controlled - that she was stiff - the way she turned her head to talk - her body language (or lack of it - if you know what I mean). Perhaps this is what she means. Jb Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lila-Zen Report post Posted July 19, 2006 I definitely think there's something in the posture and gait thing but not in the face hair colour etc. What about African kids with ASD? Chinese? Indian? Mixed Race? etc etc ASD is multicultural Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Suze Report post Posted July 19, 2006 ...............hhmm.................she,s definitely got a gift your woman .I know alot of kids on the spectrum and they all look and behave completely differently.But I can pick them out and it could be something to do with posture and gestures, my lovely boy feels awkward when out socially and this is reflected in his body language.Maybe it,s more of an inter action body language eye contact thing I dunno??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tylers-mum Report post Posted July 19, 2006 The only truth out of all that jargon was that our kids are all handsome! Well, of course they would be wouldn't they!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted July 19, 2006 There could be a valid point in stating that psoture and gait might lead you to believe a child may be somewhere on the spectrum but I don't know of any specific research into it (if anyone does I'd love to read it). To try and diagnosis HFA or AS specificaly on the hair colour and eye colour as it seems you are suggesting she stated would, in my opinion, be a very dangerous road to travel. If a diagnosis really could be made the easily wouldn't the world be a better place for us and our kids? This may be her opinion and as much as she is entitled to hold one as a professional she ought to be keeping it to herself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagpuss Report post Posted July 19, 2006 I've not heard anything re this......be interesting to know where she has got her info from though. All the ASD children I've met have not looked alike in the slightest. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Jordan Report post Posted July 19, 2006 For an experienced professional the combination of posture, eye movement, speech patterns and voice, facial expressions, praxis etc give a good indication of problems very quickly. They indicate ASD but they are not infallible - but hit rate is extremely good. That is why I cannot understand why so many get through the education system undiagnosed - I could walk into a classroom and find most children at risk within 15 minutes - as could any competent professional! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caren Report post Posted July 19, 2006 OMG Sorry Stephanie, I am not laughing at you but at this crazy Community Care woman. I don't think I have ever heard anything so bizarre in my life. Mind you, if she does have this amazing "super ability" she could sure save local authorities a lot of money & parents a lot of waiting time - she could line the kids up & provide an instant dx, thus cutting out all those pesky paeds, psychs and SaLTs. Love it, that's made my day that has. I went to a party last week - all the kids there were either on the spectrum or siblings of kids on the spectrum & it was only by careful observation that you could really "pick out" the ASD kids & then it was more because of the occasional bit of hand flapping or errant noises etc rather than an appearance thing. BTW your lad is blonde and blue eyed, The Boy is browny blonde hair, brown eyes & olive skinned - looks quite italian TBH altho me and daddy are both English born and bred. Sorry, still chuckling at this one............. Totally agree what a load of wish wash kurtis is blond haired blue eyed , S my nephew is brown hair brown eyes total opposites Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lynden Report post Posted July 19, 2006 I did a post on the good looking bit when I first started using these forums as its something I'd read. We all obviously thought our kids were, but it was suggested they may retain an innocence/honesty in their looks that NT children can lose. All looking the same - nope - Logan is almost white blonde with the bluest of eyes and the other autistic boy that lives in the village is dark haired with dark eyes. Lynne x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted July 19, 2006 That is why I cannot understand why so many get through the education system undiagnosed - I could walk into a classroom and find most children at risk within 15 minutes - as could any competent professional! Ian, on the whole I would have to agree with you, having picked up children myself within minutes of meeting them. Some of these have proven to have a diagnosis already whilst others have gone on to be diagnosed, or at the very least checked out further. The danger lies, as I see it, with the notion of the person who prompted the thread that: She made a comment about the facial characteristics and hair colour of kids on the spectrum. She said that she could spot ASD kids a mile away because they all looked the same, that ASD and Aspergers were different, most had a certain hair and eye colour from the other. To claim to be able to single ASD & As children out on this basis alone is pretty far-fetched and, I believe, dangerous. There is far more to the diagnostic criterion then hair and eye colour alone, as you yourself state: For an experienced professional the combination of posture, eye movement, speech patterns and voice, facial expressions, praxis etc give a good indication of problems very quickly. They indicate ASD but they are not infallible - but hit rate is extremely good. The difficulty I have had in the past is my 'unqualified' status (taken care of a little due to my BA being recently awarded) in this field. I have almost been accused of seeing ASDs & AS 'everywhere' which, is far from the truth. What annoys me is when I do spot it is the problem of getting someone with the power to do 'something' about it to listen to me without that being thrown at me. I am sure I am not alone in that respect. To be in that position in a classroom with a child YOU can see struggling but no-one else, it seems, can is down-right frustrating. The higher-ups not listening to those who work right alongside the kids unless they are 'teacher (or similarly) qualified.' That is why, and perhaps how, some still slip through! In defense of education, I know (from a very personal point of view) that the system has become much better in recent years in picking up some difficulties including ASDs. My own son presenting now as he did twelve years ago, would not (at least where I work) take seven years to spot!. That is not to say that there is not a long way to go yet...there is, some schools are closer than others admittedly but, some of us are trying! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Jordan Report post Posted July 19, 2006 let us assume that roughly one in a hundred are asd it would be interesting to know what percentage are diagnosed in each year group in each lea. i think numbers found before 10 would be less than 50% of those that should be supported - but am happy to be proved wrong. anyone with figures for their lea? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anneuk Report post Posted July 19, 2006 One of our SENCO assisistants told me should could pick these kids out at a glance too!! My dd by the way is Blonde hair. blue eyed and very peaches and cream complexion , not pale at all in fact for a blondie she tans beautifully!! Another AS kid in her school has brown hair, brown eyes and looks very different Like others have said, I have picked other kids out who are on the spectrum, usually though because of a mannerism, action or after having a chat with them and seeing similarities with others on the spectrum... I think some professionals just like to believe they really do have 'a gift' and this one has what a comedienne!! She certainly gave most of us a giggle on here! Anne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted July 19, 2006 Only today somebody told me that they had it on good authority that there is a high incidence of ASD among blond children of dark haired parents. If the parents are blond too it doesn't count, apparently. Now that's a new one. K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niki Report post Posted July 19, 2006 I think this is the funniest thing i have ever heard! so what do you think they would make of our family make up? My son is blond with green/blue eyes and we as his parents are............Naturally GINGER! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smallworld Report post Posted July 19, 2006 I don't have any figures from our LEA ( ASD is classed as low incidence here, I think ) but just from our mainstream infants and juniors with 3 classes in each year there is an asd child for every year, (and that's just the ones I know of !) which makes it 1 in 84 ish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oracle Report post Posted July 19, 2006 400 with official dx aged between 4 and 16 - but you did not hear that from me Oracle Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted July 20, 2006 All LEAs are supposed to keep this information - mine does and it is printed in the magazine they send to all parents of children with SEN. I don't have the latest copy to hand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stephanie Report post Posted July 20, 2006 Ah, so it's untrue, I thought as much. And this woman was so adamant - Aspergers look like this, Autistics look like that, Fragile X look like this blah blah. What a silly uninformed old moo. I will let her know next time I see her that she needs to do more research. I didn't think much to her anyway as she kept referring to ASD as mental retardation ... obviously there is an argument for that but as a parent of a bright, lovable little character, I don't want to hear it put in such terms ... talk to the hand lady! I was getting a bit paranoid thinking "oh no everyone can tell by looking at him" .... so thanks for your replies!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flora Report post Posted July 20, 2006 Stephanie, she was right about fragile x. There are features common to people with fragile x... ears and face shapes. The rest is rubbish. I have two boys on the spectrum and they look totally different, they do have poor posture though which goes back to what Ian Jordan said about the subject. William has very poor muscle tone, and Luke while quite wiry has poor posture (head tilt) caused by sensory difficulties. Lauren Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smallworld Report post Posted July 20, 2006 Hi Oracle, I didn't only hear that figure from you but couldn't remember who had told me, and whether it was 'official' or not I was also told, that in our LEA over 40 children were dx in the first six months of last year AND still we have no asd specific unit in our town..... wac Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madmooch Report post Posted July 20, 2006 BTW your lad is blonde and blue eyed, The Boy is browny blonde hair, brown eyes & olive skinned - looks quite italian TBH altho me and daddy are both English born and bred. Jill, My Little man has browny blonde hair, brown eyes and olive skin, yet me and hubby are both milky white - have we both been with the same milkman I often say it's either the poo thats dyed him ( he was born covered in muconium) or it's all the muck dyeing his skin ( we call him muck magnet ) Clare Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keyholekate Report post Posted July 20, 2006 I remember that a doctor commented on the shape of Sean's head and the fact that his ears are low set. I wished I'd questioned it , but I do agree with Lauren about posture and the demeanour . Sean always looks like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders. He reminds me of Mr. Burns from The Simpsons! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shortie Report post Posted July 21, 2006 before my DD's dx,i read every book on ASD that i could find and i must say alot of professionals commented on the fact that for some reason the majority of ASD children are very beautiful children! i'm always having comments from people that my DD should be a model,which would be very interesting if she was having a major meltdown like she did in the supermarket today,a women behind commented to another customer that she needed a slapped a**! well i don't know if it was the weather that got to me today as i usually let comments like that go over my head but today i was like the excorsist and i wont repeat what i said but she was very white by the time i finished with her my DD is mixed race with nearly black hair,gorgeous olive skin and the darkest eyes i've ever seen,her ASD friend at pre school is blonde haired,ice blue eyes so the theary on eye and hair colour is rubbish in my opinion!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Report post Posted July 24, 2006 Jill, My Little man has browny blonde hair, brown eyes and olive skin, yet me and hubby are both milky white - have we both been with the same milkman Clare Clare If we did, then he was a fit fella on his push bike cos I live in Derbyshire It does make me wonder tho.............ours is a muck magnet an all!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites