Re: Are Our Kids More Beautiful? (Was: Are Highly Intelligent...)

[Guest guest]

Dear Lynne and other,

I think this is a very interesting question; I also find my son very

handsome and many have commented on this too (you can actually

visit our web site and see for yourself if interested:

www.alouettecollege.info).

I have been amazed by the beauty of all the ASD kids I have met. I

love to photograph them. I was not sure if that was because of their

innocence (not being spoiled by social stereotypes), the closeness

that have to their inner world and the absolute integrity with their

own emotions that make them beautiful, or if it is because of

physical parameters.

But I think it is true these kids are beautiful- and it is a good thing for

them as they can touch people more easily this way.

Lorene

[Guest guest]

> Okay, so I know I'm not asking an unbiased population, but tell me,

what you

> all think. Are our kids more beautiful? Could there be a connection

between

> physical beauty and autism? In some instances, could that physical

symmetry

> make them more vulnerable neurologically?

>

> Lynne

Lynne, we have all read this so many times.

I have always thought that because of their situation (most being

quite normal and then regress due to, well, we all know what...) they

appear " prettier " than most children with a mental disorder. Usually

there is some genetic abnormality that sets them apart from

the " norm " with other DX's and shows up in facial features.

just my 2 cents

Ann

[Guest guest]

I was just having this beauty discussion with my little group of AS moms. We

took the boys, who are 12-13yo and have dx's of either AS or HFA, to the

movies a couple of weeks ago, and I was taking pictures. I commented on how

good-looking they all were, and they both agreed. This wasn't just maternal

pride, because we were all talking about each other's children, too.

ly, we're all on the blunt side, and I don't think any of us says much

that we don't really mean. And one boy's parents are both sort of average

looking, and he is just adorable.

I don't suppose a study on this sort of thing will get funding anytime soon!

Liz

>

> Reply-To: csb-autism-rx

> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 10:26:10 -0800

> To: CSB <csb-autism-rx >

> Subject: Are Our Kids More Beautiful? (Was: Are Highly

> Intelligent...)

>

>> Attractiveness is somewhat in the eye of the beholder, but

>> something that has been quantified in studies on a fairly regular basis.

>

> Apparently it may be quantified to a certain degree. After having two

> consecutive miscarriages, I read quite a bit about the subject. I remember

> one study in particular that concluded that attractive women are more

> fertile and have more successful pregnancies. They defined the level of

> attractiveness by measuring the physical symmetry of the women. The

> researchers concluded that people who are more symmetrical are more likely

> to be healthy.

>

> Getting back to the autism connection, what does beauty mean to our kids?

> When I took my son to his first neuropsychologist, he told me how beautiful

> my son is (of course I agreed! But then he told me how in his experience

> that autistic children are more attractive than the typical child. I didn't

> agree with that--my daughter is totally gorgeous (and of course, I am

> completely unbiased) and totally non autistic.

>

> Just recently we took my son to a clinical forensic psychologist (different

> guy, different region) and at the end of the session, he also complimented

> my son's attractiveness. He said, " All these autistic boys are so beautiful.

> They all look like Adonis. " He further commented that the kids who come into

> his office for different disorders aren't as attractive.

>

> Okay, so I know I'm not asking an unbiased population, but tell me, what you

> all think. Are our kids more beautiful? Could there be a connection between

> physical beauty and autism? In some instances, could that physical symmetry

> make them more vulnerable neurologically?

>

> Lynne

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

> > Attractiveness is somewhat in the eye of the beholder, but

> > something that has been quantified in studies on a fairly regular

basis.

>

> Apparently it may be quantified to a certain degree. After having two

> consecutive miscarriages, I read quite a bit about the subject. I

remember

> one study in particular that concluded that attractive women are more

> fertile and have more successful pregnancies. They defined the level of

> attractiveness by measuring the physical symmetry of the women. The

> researchers concluded that people who are more symmetrical are more

likely

> to be healthy.

>

> Okay, so I know I'm not asking an unbiased population, but tell me,

what you

> all think. Are our kids more beautiful? Could there be a connection

between

> physical beauty and autism? In some instances, could that physical

symmetry

> make them more vulnerable neurologically?

Hi Lynne,

My very biased and subjective comments on BOTH of your topics!

I think that asymetry makes people MORE suseptible to mercury

poisoning, and maybe other problems. I'm not positive that

asymetry is exactly the right concept actually. Using myself

as an example, I've been getting cranial manipulation for

over a year, and the blockage was mostly on the left (not

symetrical). There is a very slight change in my face that

has resulted. My body is somewhat asymetrical. Anyway, I

think that these physical asymetries go with mercury toxicity,

not in all cases, but some correlation.

I ALSO think ASD kids are very beautiful. But maybe " touching "

is a better word here. I love a line in McCandless' book where

she says she was moved (or touched) by Chelsey, and found that

ALL ASD kids have this effect on her.

So, to summarize I think that ASD kids are unusually beautiful,

on the whole. I also think that ASD kids are highly likely to

be mercury toxic, and this can correlate with physical asymetry

(esp head and face asymetry). So, um, I'm not sure where this

leaves me relative to the studies that say symmetry equates

to beauty! That may make sense too, so I guess it is back

to the drawing board for me...

Moria