Abnormal facial features in aspies

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I read somewhere a while back, that although somewhat difficult to detect with a "simple glance" of the eye, people on the autism spectrum does in fact appear to look somewhat different appearance wise in comparison to Neuro Typicals. In Aspies there will often be found a prescensce of some of three types abnormal physical features: ( 1.) A lack of facial symmetry aka. having an asymmetrical face (parts of the facial features fail to correspond to one another in shape, size, or arrangement). ( 2.) Having a prominent/exposed forehead ( 3.) Having tassels of hair growing in the wrong direction.

After examining a picture of myself, i did in fact notice that there in fact is some truth in the asymmetrical face theory, let me just show you in pictures below:



I did notice my nose and mouth is somewhat asymmetrical, it seems like one side of my nose is slightly "higher up" then the other side, kind of crooked looking. One side is happy the other side is feeling down

I also mirrored the right side of my face with the right, and the left mirrored with the left, this is what it ended up looking like:



Oh god.. it actually looks like alien beings if i am to be honest.. But Anyway, to the point.
It's usually (if I've understood it correctly) the #2 (left mirrored with left) picture that tells if a person's face is symmetrical. Ugh.. i don't know maybe i am wrong but it doesn't look like facial symmetry to me. At least if you compare my picture to those seen in a "project" some guy or woman did on a few celebrities who turned out to have symmetrical faces. Here is two examples of some of the "left mirrored with left" pictures of these so called symmetrical faced celebrities (Jennifer Lawrence and Gerard Butler):



As you may notice, Jennifer and Gerards pictures does look different from how they use to look, but their face still in some strange way manage to keep corresponding facial features even now. They don't end up looking as "alien like", aka they have have facial symmetri.

To mention the other aspie physical trait i found in myself, is the hair thing. Around were my bangs would be, where my hair line starts or how i am to explain it, i have these little outgrowths of some really thin, soft and short tufts of hair, and they are grown in various directions, as in not following along with the rest of my hair.

I don't know how to feel about the fact that we actually might also look different, i guess since it's not to visible it won't have to much of an effect on us. But who knows since facial symmetry is what most people find beautiful, maybe our not so symmetrical face also make us look strange and not so appealing to Neuro typicals. But who knows maybe we actually don't look different, and that we only end up thinking we do look different because of the things we read.

Do you find some abnormalities in your facial features also?

Aren't most people's faces asymmetrical (aside from Jennifer Lawrence and others like her)?

Maybe, i don't know, i might just be over thinking things.. oh well I'll just curl up somwhere and hide for a little while

The only "strange" facial feature in aspies I know about is the moebius mouth in some childrens.
I'd like to see where did you get that information.

The high forehead point rings very true. It fits a lot of the aspies I have seen. Read somewhere else that we have eggheads.

I had forgotten the macrocephaly (it isn't technically a facial feature), but the head circumference becomes normal with age.

Dear Monolithe.
You are the owner of one of the more symmetrical faces. (John Lennons face was extremely so).
Symmetri has proven to be a marker for genetic surplus. (Nothing to do with things like autism or not).
That is why very young babies intuitively look longer at a symmetrical face, than an asymmetrical. We are biologically attracted to beauty/symmetry for the benefit of our species.
None of us are a 100% symmetrical, and in fact, - asymmetrical faces can indeed be characteristic and beautiful in an unconventional way.

I read it on this site: https://sfari.org/news-and-opinion/in-b ... ose-autism

So I have a face what screams out ''I have Asperger's Syndrome'', just like Down's people have a face that screams out ''I have Down's Syndrome''. And yet all this time I have been told by professionals and read in books and Autism websites that people on the spectrum do not have any physical characteristics.

Without arguing about facial expressions or posture, I have never heard of people with Asperger's Syndrome having a different physical look. I'm sure if there was a precise ''look'', I would have known about it years ago. I was diagnosed when I was 8 years old.

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp3588696.html&highlight=

I remember this article: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162- ... res-study/

Wide eyes and wide mouth - I don't know how accurate it is, but I have wide eyes and a wide mouth. OP does as well.

I fail to see anything ''different'' in the OP's face.

i have very rounded eyes, and my eyes are quite an unusual colour, sort of a colour between blue and grey. many people have commented on how beautiful and catching my eyes are. i have a wide mouth what looks like a permanent mild sort of smile (when my mouth is closed) even wnen im not feeling positive emotions.

but theres no proving a wide eyes and wide mouth look is exclusive to autistics, as my husband;s friend (he is Nt) have big eyes and a very wide mouth and he has no asds.

I have a round face and big cheeks. I look normal really. One thing I HAVE noticed is a lot (Not all) aspies have dark circles under there eyes, always. I always do.

Now that you mention it, yes i have also noticed that in some, there's dark circles under their eyes. That includes me.
Or maybe, just maybe, the reason for that black touch is just because some of us have problems sleeping properly I know i do

In the absence of an actual craniofacial disorder, I don't believe that persons on the spectrum are more likely to have subtly asymmetrical faces than the normal population. However, persons with craniofacial disorders are many times more likely to display autistic traits than the general population, because the development of the face and brain are embryologically linked. One person has already mentioned Mobius Syndrome. Persons on the oculoauriculo vertebral disorder spectrum which includes Goldenhars and hemifacial microsomia, which includes myself, have been found to display autisitic traits in up to 55% of individuals in one study. However, the facial asymmetry in Goldenhars/hemifacial microsomia is anything but subtle. I'm considered on the mild side of that spectrum, but even I have an undergrown left mandible which throws my bite and chin out of alignment, an underdeveloped left ear, and partial facial paralysis on the left side due to incomplete neuromuscular development plus increasing neural problems as I get older with chronic tinnitus in the left ear and refractive amblyopia in the left eye. In other words, if you have autism-related asymmetrical facial development it is anything but subtle.

I looked at the articles and I think there is strong evidence that certain features or aspects are common in autistics, though they do not in total look much different then NTs.

Facial features are one of my interest areas, though I am coming at it from history/archeological perspective. I am very curious about how ancient peoples would have looked. What would a Phoenician have looked like? Or a Kelt? Etc. Some of these features are still around, but often watered down so to speak by mixing and environmental changes. So the trick is figuring out which ones.

But back to topic.

I thought I have noticed something for the first time here at WP, which was the frequency of striking/arresting eyes. I had to stop commenting on them because I was doing it practically every time and it would seem I was just saying that to everyone. But now I am thinking it was true and Autistics often do have wonderful eyes.

Monolithe, you have several of the noted characteristics, being wide (perhaps large) eyes, wide plenum (I think they call it) which is the furrow between nose and mouth, wide mouth and the groups of errant hair strands. One of the biggest indicators is a wide forehead/top of head, but I can't tell clearly due to hat. You are missing one very common aspect though which is a smaller area between top lip and eyes, which on autistics is often compressed a little.

All in all it is interesting in its potential to help identify some of the developmental aspects of autism. Fortunately it is not a deterimental or very noticable characteristic and in some ways can be attractive traits (ie. eyes). The OP has no worries on this account as all three versions are like three beautiful sisters.