Re: Physical Markers in Autism

[Guest guest]

My son Lawrence (12.5 yo, nonverbal, autistic) has been

exceptionally beautiful from birth, like so many of our

children. Angel-like face (the type of the face of Rick

Rollens,s son on the Newsweek cover), long eyelashes, blue

eyes, BEAUTIFUL ears (not long at all, and in the right

place!), beautiful skin, etc. etc. (But he is a picky eater

and quite thin now.)

One interesting thing: he was perfect and beautiful on the day

of his birth too (caesarian baby). I was holding him in my

arms for a long time when I first saw him, and he was just

wonderful. The most perfect baby in my room where there were 2

other young mothers with newborn babies... He was big too,

4330 g.

I noticed one little speciality on his face, though, which was

very strange. The muscles in his lower lip seemed to be

very *loose*, and it gave a very strange assimetry to his

lips, as he was asleep there, lying on his side. It almost

seemed to be a physical handicap, and I remember deciding that

I will love him in spite of this handicap...

Later, when he was awake, it was not so characteristic any

more, but I saw this strange *tonelessness* of the lower lip

many times when he was asleep.

Now it occures to me: could it be an early sign of apraxia of

the mouth? (Remember, he is nonverbal. Still, he had

pronounced 3 2-word sentences in his life, with absolutely

perfect pronunciation...) If so, can it be one cause of his

not being able to speak?

Have any of you noticed this with your autistic child? If yes,

is that child nonverbal?

Just very curious.

Agnes in Hungary

Ackerman wrote:

> List buddies:

>

> We have the beautiful lips, beautiful blue eyes and the blond hair.

> Jeff is going to be a lady killer (in about 12 years - he is 3 ½ now!)

> He looks A LOT like the Newsweek cover - Rick Rollins (MIND Institute's son)

>

> At the last two conferences in California - I spoke to a lot of moms - saw a

> lot of kidlet pictures - they are some darn cute kids out there (and I do

> not compliment unless it is necessary!!) A lot of blond, blue / green eyed

> - autistic kids that do not look autistic. VERY interesting....

> Ears - normal on Jeff (they are not bigger, hang lower like I have seen

> before)

>

> Interesting

>

> A (Jeffs Mom)

>

[Guest guest]

This is so true! Although my daughter(4 1/2yo w/autism dx) doesn't have ears

that protrude, but they are slightly lower than average. She does have

beautiful lips and is all around gorgeous! I get compliments about her looks

all the time. Ofcourse I think she is beautiful, but I am mom too. It is

neat to know that they have this in common.

Kansas

[Guest guest]

Hello, Please don't take this the wrong way, I was just very curious...I

also have a beautiful, handsome, blue eyed, brown haired boy. All but one of

the autistic kids I have met (over a dozen) or seen in articles has been

caucasion. The reports say that autism is prevalent in all races and

cultures, yet I have only met one other child (who is black) who was

autistic. Do you think it is more prevalent in caucasions than other races?

Just curious....

[Guest guest]

This is just thinking out loud here, but as most new research indicates,

autism is a disease of the immune system. Blonde haired, blue-eyed, fair

skinned children have less melanin (pigment) in their bodies. Could there

be some connection between less melanin and a weaker immune system? I mean

isn't the stereotyped sickly person pale and lean? Perhaps the blonde hair,

blue eyes etc are merely another result of the genetic predisposition (and

of course, hair/eye color genes passed on by parents)of a weaker immune

system and susceptibility to autism. (when attacked by the mmr vaccine)

Pat

[Guest guest]

My son attends an autistic only school of 60 kids. I would say 10% are

black, 10% are indian/arab, 15% are hispanic and the rest are white. Now in

our area of Florida that services this school - which is only two counties -

that may likely be the demographics of the area as far as percentages of

whole races anyway, so it would be respresentative. I spoke at a meeting

this week in an area near Disney World with a high percentage of

hispanic/latinos and all but 2 of the audience were hispanic so it depends

on where you are, but I think the rates are even with the percentages. I

hope this made sense.

Holly

----- Original Message -----

> Hello, Please don't take this the wrong way, I was just very curious...I

> also have a beautiful, handsome, blue eyed, brown haired boy. All but one

of

> the autistic kids I have met (over a dozen) or seen in articles has been

> caucasion. The reports say that autism is prevalent in all races and

> cultures, yet I have only met one other child (who is black) who was

> autistic. Do you think it is more prevalent in caucasions than other

races?

> Just curious....

[Guest guest]

No No, not taken in the wrong way what so ever, I am glad that you

posed the question! Actually one of the Mom's that were at the

dinner

has a child who is half black and half white who is autistic. Funny

you should mention it because there are no black autistic kids at my

son's school, although that just might be demographics. It'll be

interesting to hear from others. I will add though that even this

little boy who I just mentioned, has theses physical markers. I

might

add I have begged his parents (they are adopted parents) to let me

have him, he is such a wonderful bright little boy!!! and unlike sooo

many kids my son doesn't tolerate well, he loved this little boy!

> Hello, Please don't take this the wrong way, I was just very

curious...I

> also have a beautiful, handsome, blue eyed, brown haired boy. All

but one of

> the autistic kids I have met (over a dozen) or seen in articles has

been

> caucasion. The reports say that autism is prevalent in all races

and

> cultures, yet I have only met one other child (who is black) who

was

> autistic. Do you think it is more prevalent in caucasions than

other races?

> Just curious....

[Guest guest]

We have always found s looks " odd " Mom and Dad and her baby sister all

have brown hair and brown eyes. has very light brown hair (people call

her blonde but she is not as blonde as my neighbors kids) and she has green

eyes, perfect lips. She looks nothing like us, people even ask if we got the

right baby!! We know she is ours because we were with her 24 hrs a day and

she was a NICU baby. She has no birth marks.

I have the hypo whatever white spot on my leg, takes up almost the whole

inside of my calf but you cant see it now because I have not been in the sun

in a REALLY REALLY long time!

*looking really pale*

[Guest guest]

Shari:

I used to live in NYC many years ago, but now live in Silver Spring,

land.

('s mom)

[Guest guest]

My son has low muscle tone around his mouth. From early on, his tongue

protruded and still does. He's quite verbal however, but has

articulation problems - he's almost 5, but sounds more like a 3 year old

in the way he articulates his words.

( & Malachi's mom)

[Guest guest]

Sorry, no, unless I knew you in the City from 1980 - 1987. I moved back

to the DC area in June, 1987.

[Guest guest]

Me neither. I've seen all different color hair and eyes, black and white

children. Asian.....there are many children at my son's school....hispanic

and so on.

[Guest guest]

My son has it too. Its kind of blue in color. I forgot what its called also.

[Guest guest]

Just had to post that we have two boys, one blonde haired, blue-eyed, fair

skinned (NT) and the other dark haired, dark eyed, and the most beautiful

dark skin (autistic). Our autistic son does have a type of birth mark

(don't remember the name, the doctors said it was very common in people with

darker pigment) on his rear side. It almost resembles a bruise.

Paige in WI