the physical signs of aspergers

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Last year someone named Kaysea posted this list of physical signs of Asperger's:

Body:
Long Arms
Bony wrists
Slightly bell-shaped rib cage
Shorter-than-average distance between the ribs and hips
Shorter-than-average necks
Square shoulders
Arms hang out to the side, instead of being directed straight downward.

Head/Face
Intense or dreamy, deep-set eyes
Eyes slightly too close together
Prominent features
Large head
High, wide forehead

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been wondering what my problem really is, since I don't have the sign that involves having a rigid routine and hating for anything to change. But this, yes. Everything but square shoulders, and maybe not prominent features.

I've also read that asymmetrical facial features are a sign. Got that too. It's not extremely odd looking, but when I get new eyeglasses, two times the person measuring for the distance from nose to eyes has remarked that mine are different.

I don't know where the list came from (no time to go look it up now), and I don't think all of us have to have all the signs, but I like it. I'd like to be weird-looking and almost completely friendless for a reason. Know what I mean?

Movement gets a para all to itself. All movement is planned. Say in a crowded market I always have my destination point in sight before taking the first step. Difficult to modify route without breaking stride but must be done in order to avoid bumping into people or having them touch me. Long legs take very swift strides. Sometimes I remember to relax my [square] shoulders so arms can swing 'naturally' [to the side; not straight down].

I too lose my balance easily and, although fine with singing or playing instruments, cannot dance more than three steps without losing rhythm. Absolutely cannot respond immediately to dance instruction. Exception: can keep up flamenco footstomping in practice drills just about forever.

To learn a dance sequence I have to film it, take it home, and drill, drill, drill, learn by rote in front of mirror. 'Natural' shoulder posture and movement needs a lot of effort. I need about a hundred times more repetitions than the other students, so in class I tend to keep out of everyone's way and instead concentrate on watching, filming and palmas (rhythmic clapping - also easy).

Is there anyone out there on the spectrum who is a great dancer now, but it didn't come naturally to start with? Any tips? Or should I just stick with the rhythm stuff and forget the body altogether???

Learning dance steps is about as fun as have my teeth drilled. Mmm maybe dentist trips are a little more fun. I took some dance classes many years ago. Now I realized it takes an enormous amount of energy to learn them. It is no fun, I get a headache trying. If it was absolutely necessary I would do it but it is not so I will not put any more effort in it. I can do a more freestyle thing which is fun with my girlfriend but the structured dance is a nightmare.

Interesting..........

I've noticed some things -

I think normal people definitely pick up quickly that something is "off" with a person with AS. Its just something they see.

What I have seen are sort of big pointy chins, worry lines in the forehead (I think these can come early because of lots of extra stress and concern)

It seems like people with AS walk without swinging their arms, almost ape-like....... an odd gait and sort of an arm-flapping prance while running. Head tilted back, kind of a glare while running.

Perhaps breathing through the mouth and tend to go about with their mouth wide open all of the time. This I think can give kind of a gaping look, with eyes staring nowhere.

Seeing AS people in youtube in the last few years, I've also noticed that certain "quality" they all seem to have. I think NT's pick up on this, but I've noticed some slow deliberate speech (when trying to present) Kind of a lisp in talking.

I've also noticed the "long-arms" thing. I think I have longer arms.

I think there are distinct physical features of AS (not present in all but in many) but not autism. The strange gait is a key feature, walking like the person is about to fall over, and the strange running. Plus the staring into space and generally looking as if they were only physically present.

But I agree with a previous poster that to be certain a little interaction has to take place. So the gait & staring into space makes them pop up on the "Aspie-dar" and then if you get either no reaction to addressing them, or one word replies, plus mannerisms then that can be pretty conclusive.

A couple of weeks ago there was a news item on tv about support structures for people with AS and they interviewed a young woman, perhaps 21 or so, who had been dx'd as an adult. She was indistinguishable from an NT in looks and speech, bearing in mind it was just a headshot. So the physical thing may not absolutely always be present.

I understood the physical oddness to be one of the features Lorna Wing used to differentiate between AS and autism. I know this has all changed recently and the distinction is no longer officially made. Rightly or wrongly I found the distinction convincing. That's probably going off topic a bit, sorry.

Not sure if all of these have to do with AS but:
-I look younger then I am
-I never could keep up with the other kids in P.E class....I had noticable lack of flexibility which made some of the stretches impossible/extra difficult for me and a lot of times it was noticeable that I could not do quite as much like its possible to maybe get 5 push ups out of me but even that would be a major struggle. and sometimes I got accused of being lazy when in reality it seemed more like it was not a problem simple excercise could fix.
-A lot of times I walk around without moving my arms, if I think about it I'll move them like a normal person but if not then sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.......that could also be the depression though as it lowers my energy.

we have a dreamy, farawy look and sometimes look younger. and with a body language that says, stay away. i was told my eyes look very sad, but i think they just look distant. i have a blank expression. oh, and a slightly monotonous voice.