Do all aspies look alike to you?

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I'm guessing I'm going to piss some people off with this, but it's an honest observation...

When I look through the pics in the "Post a Picture of the Real You" thread, I see a striking similarity among the male pictures, and a different similarity in the female pictures. Or maybe it's the same thing in every picture.

In fact it freaks me out a bit, as it's like looking in a mirror. There is something in the face of many of you that reminds me of me. It's kinda creepy, really.

I think I've heard that aspies have a knack for seeing relationships that NTs can't perceive. So... is it just me, or does anyone else see this relationship in the faces of aspies? I can't even say what it is. Everyone looks quite different... there is just a haunting similarity there somewhere.

I noticed that too, but I can't put my finger on what it is.

More for Autistics, weather high-functioning, low-functioning or atypical.

But don't really know enough Aspies face-to-face

Actually...I haven't noticed any similarities.

Aspies visibly appear the same as NT's to me.

I think I may have noticed this too. I saw an article online recently (I can't remember where, sorry) that talked about children with a deletion of a particular gene in their DNA who met together in person and their parents noticed a strong resemblance between them. Autistic behavior was one side effect of this 'unique' genetic trait. The article talked about similarities in appearance among people having several kinds of genetic traits and special kinship because of it.

The main thing I have noticed is that Aspies don't seem to have as much sharpness, crispiness, and/or definition as NT's do to their facial and other features. Maybe the reason is that some genetic information coding for physical traits is altered in the Aspie DNA, or that gene expression through RNA is altered, or that elevated testosterone levels are present.

Now, concerning auties as opposed to aspies, I have noticed that auties (low and mid functioning) look "stoned"--their eyes just look tired.

For males, yes, but not for females...unless beauty is it, because all the Aspie girls (including me) I know are stunningly beautiful!

I agree with that statement concerning aspie females in general.

I didn't think we all looked alike, but some I guess could be grouped together. There was a handfull of other girls (and a few boys) that had my same sad brown eyes and slack expressions.

The only thing that gets me with many of the photo threads are the people smiling whilst looking directly at, and facing the camera, I don't know how the hell they can do that.

Lack of facial expressions and eye contact are the only things you'll find common amongst those with ASDs (apart from Rett's, and a good portion of those with ASDs have big heads when they're born).

Looking in a camera can be learned, but it still something to be stressed about for three days.

But in the faces there is a lack of sharpness or something.

Last edited by Asterisp on 14 Feb 2008, 12:55 am, edited 1 time in total.

Not really eye contact though when your looking at the camera. And it's only for a second. If they were being video taped, their eyes would likely be all over the place or just somewhere else. Unless they've learned through extensive practice how to hold their gaze appropriately throughout a conversation

I swear it's the facial shape.
What I notice most when people-watching and looking for people that could possibly have AS, I look at the knees and the person's general awareness of their body. If the knees are hyper-extending, (mine do, I've been told how freaky I look when I lock my knees) and the person is messing with their face, making 'odd expressions', and/or just not really aware of their posture, I'll be pretty sure. From there, I just try talking to the person if possible.

From the hairline down to the (coronoid process of the) jaw, the facial shape is very straight. From there, the jawline looks very rounded down to the chin. Not necessarily cherubic in description depending on the length of the area from the hairline to the jaw, but I know what you're talking about...I wonder what this similarity goes back to genetically.

Well, now that's interesting... I am pretty sure I have heard that the shape of the chin is influenced by the amount of testosterone experienced at a particular stage of prenatal development.

The interesting part is that when I went to look it up, I found that fetal testosterone levels are one possible hypothesis for a cause for autism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_ ... stosterone

Not that I'm a doctor or biologist or anything, but I do find that intriguing.