Top Stories - Posted by Christian Basi-Missouri on Thursday, October 20, 2011 14:30 - 3 Comments 
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Kids with autism have distinct facial traits
Researchers mapped 17 points on the face, such as the corner of the eye and the point of the nose, and then calculated the distances between each of the points to determine if there were differences in the shape of the face. (Credit: University of Missouri)
U. MISSOURI (US) — The discovery of distinct differences in facial characteristics of children with autism compared to typically developing children may help pinpoint the origins of autism.
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“There is no clear answer about whether autism is caused by genetics or by environmental influences,” says Kristina Aldridge, lead author and assistant professor of anatomy at the University of Missouri.
A camera system simultaneously captured four images to create a 3-D model of each child’s head. (Credit: University of Missouri)
“If we can identify when these facial changes occur, we could pinpoint when autism may begin to develop in a child. Knowing that point in time could lead us to identify a genetic cause, a window of time when the embryo may be susceptible to an environmental factor, or both.”
Aldridge and colleagues found the following distinct differences between facial characteristics of children with autism and those of typically developing children:
Children with autism have:
- Broader upper face, including wider eyes.
- Shorter middle region of the face, including the cheeks and nose.
- Broader or wider mouth and philtrum—the divot below the nose, above the top lip.
She says these are subtle differences that will enable researchers to further study people with autism spectrum disorders. The findings are detailed in the journal Molecular Autism.
Aldridge analyzed 64 boys with autism and 41 typically developing boys aged eight to 12 years old, using a camera system that captures a 3-D image of each child’s head. Then, she mapped 17 points on the face, such as the corner of the eye and the divot in the upper lip.
When Aldridge calculated the overall geometry of the face using these points, and compared children with autism and typically developing children, she found statistically significant differences in face shape.
Understanding that people with autism have statistically different facial characteristics enables researchers to focus on the underlying causes of autism, Aldridge says.
Additionally, the study identified two groups of children with autism who show further distinct facial traits that occur in children with specific characteristics of autism, such as behavior problems, language level, and repetitive behaviors. Identifying these subgroups within the group of children with autism allows better study of these children and why autism is so variable.
The research was supported by an Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Program grant, the Simons Foundation, and the Thompson Center Research Scholar Funds.
More news from the University of Missouri: http://munews.missouri.edu
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3 Comments
Paula Schuck
Hmmmm…interesting. I guess I believe that when we are looking for a cause and/or a cure for anything, we should leave no stone unturned. I mean even if we go down a thousand paths – 10 thousand, a million – doesn’t matter. It could be the millionth-and – one path we explore regarding Autism that gives us the answers we are looking for. Lots of times the answers we seek are either right in front of our nose and we don’t see them OR they are the last thing we would ever suspect as the answer….so, let’s keep doing THIS. Let’s keep questioning, looking, testing, thinking and learning about the cause and cure for Autism.
Susan
This type of research does nothing but promote more pegging of autistic people to further outcast and hurt them more. Think of what nazi’s did to pick apart the difference between Aryan children vs. Jewish.
How exactly is this going to really help anything?
This is very interesting especially given that we also know there can be distinct facial features for FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder) as well. I wonder if this study took into account those facial features and whether or not there might be overlap/ differences or similarities. If so could there also be issue with whether autism and FASD could be misdiagnosed as the other. Just curious.
Paula Schuck
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