15 replies to this topic

[Nesf]

I have known for some time that I have a double crown - or whorls of hair - on the top of my head.  I've been told that it's slightly unusual, but didn't pay much attention to it. Then, a couple of days ago, just out of curiosity, I decided to Google it to see how rare it actually was, and it came up with a whole load of sites with discussions as to whether it is linked to autism or developmental delays or not, though I couldn't find anything giving concrete scientific evidence for this. Here are a couple of such sites

 

http://community.bab...wn2_hair_whorls

 

http://www.sciforums...ain-development

 

There are numerous such sites. Have you ever heard this? Personally I think it's just probably an old wives tale, and without concrete scientific proof I can't accept it as valid, but the numerous references did pique my curiosity

 

Does anyone else have a double crown?

 

[attachment=204:double crown.jpg]

[iggy]

Well, I don't have a double crown (although if I did I expect it would be completely invisible with long hair?) and I am very sceptical about this link. But then, most links of anything to autism are to be taken sceptically, I think.....

[mary]

I believe that a lot of my family have double crowns, including myself, but I don't think it shows a direct link to autism / ASD traits as some of my family show these traits but some do not.

[Sofi]

I've never heard of this *possible* link before. I don't think I have a double crown. Although, this has reminded me of someone I used to be friends with, who, now coupled with my knowledge of AS/Autism, I feel like she definitely has AS. Without a doubt in my mind, I'm sure she'd be diagnosed! And, she had a brother, who I know had a double crown because it was mentioned several times for some reason, and he was also very similar traits of AS (The whole family did, in hindsight!). So, there's someone else I can think of who has a double crown and *most likely* AS, AS traits at the very least.

I agree it may just be an old tale. They are starting to say lots of things are connected to autism! 

[Nesf]

Unfortunately I can't find anything on the prevalance of double crowns. I don't know how rare, or common they are. If they are actually fairly common, then we can only assume it's a coincidence. Of couse it doesn't mean that a baby with a double crown will have autism. But there must be a reason such "wives tales" start in the first place, something that triggers the rumours.

[Toran]

Well, I don't have a double crown (although if I did I expect it would be completely invisible with long hair?) and I am very sceptical about this link. But then, most links of anything to autism are to be taken sceptically, I think.....

Everything begins as a thought or an idea and then people start testing the theory to see if its a valid point unless of course the facts are there and somebody spotted the patern. Give things time and eventually there may be a proven link but its best always just to keep an open mind.

[Cogs Of My Cranium]

I've got one. I've never heard of this link before.

[Toran]

I've got one. I've never heard of this link before.

Me neither but it makes life exciting all this new information coming out and evolving.

[WillowHope]

I remember a hairdresser mentioning it before to me, but I don't think I do. And Chris doesn't.

[Rafael]

^^
Funny how people go on and on about the meaning of hair whirls and its connection to particular conditions, diseases and personalities.

I wonder if there is really some connection to it in the end.

I guess not, but... 

[Toran]

You can never tell I suppose one day they may come out with something that will surprise us all science moves so quick these days its forever changing.

[Toran]

I remember a hairdresser mentioning it before to me, but I don't think I do. And Chris doesn't.

I cant tell any more unfortunately, but if I ever decided to be a monk lets say I wouldnt need much of a trim lol

[Nesf]

^^
Funny how people go on and on about the meaning of hair whirls and its connection to particular conditions, diseases and personalities.

I wonder if there is really some connection to it in the end.

I guess not, but... 

I don't think there is any connection, as hair whorls seem to be random in the population, but I did find a lot of references to it and wondered where they've all got the idea came from - whether some study had been published or something, there must be a reason for it.

[HalfFull]

Look, theres only one way to work out for sure if someone has Autism and its if they have a small neat circle on their lower back amounting to exactly 8 spots. Joking aside the double crown theorey is an interesting one. I'll try to compare between group photos of Aspies I've met and the people at work. Don't think I have one but my hair sticks up easily so I often get a Grade 5 haircut.

[Auletes]

I was in a lecture of a geneticist. He told that in general your hear was an indication of early mental development as at time of maximal brain development your hair on the head starts do grow. He didn't mention more about it but I thought it might be interesting for this topic.

 

But I have to say I don't take the statment to serious. In my opinion this geneticist is too much in his topic and sees anything wrong in everything. For example he showed us pictures of "sick" children and then he said: " you see, the ears are too much in this direction, the eye's are too close together, the fingers are too short". Hearing this, I kept thinking, well maybe the fingers are just short - nothing more or less? I think you can interpret in any a bit uncommon "sign" whatever you want.

 

(By the way, to conclude my opinion about the mentioned geneticist: He told, aspergers has nothing to do with autism, as so calles aspergers were well capable to speak and just because they were collecting planes as kids and were a bit different, that's nothing to do with autisme, it's just in vogue to get such a diagnose...)

[Nesf]

I was in a lecture of a geneticist. He told that in general your hear was an indication of early mental development as at time of maximal brain development your hair on the head starts do grow. He didn't mention more about it but I thought it might be interesting for this topic.

 

But I have to say I don't take the statment to serious. In my opinion this geneticist is too much in his topic and sees anything wrong in everything. For example he showed us pictures of "sick" children and then he said: " you see, the ears are too much in this direction, the eye's are too close together, the fingers are too short". Hearing this, I kept thinking, well maybe the fingers are just short - nothing more or less? I think you can interpret in any a bit uncommon "sign" whatever you want.

 

(By the way, to conclude my opinion about the mentioned geneticist: He told, aspergers has nothing to do with autism, as so calles aspergers were well capable to speak and just because they were collecting planes as kids and were a bit different, that's nothing to do with autisme, it's just in vogue to get such a diagnose...)

I think I read something like this while browsing the internet, but there was no mention of autism... but I suppose that could be where they were getting this idea from. I asked s haridresser how common it was and she said that lots of her customers had double crowns, especially women, certainly she had never heard of any autism link. I think these 'specialists' could say whatever they liked, including the moon is made of cheese, and some people would still believe them!

 

I know that there was some debate as to whether AS should be classified as an ASD or a completely seperate condition, but I think that the recent decision to merge it with other ASDs into a single category settled that issue - the diagnosis of AS will cease to exist, and everyone will be given a diagnosis of ASD. To say that AS is just a fashion is belittling a very real condition which can affect the quality of life significantly, clearly the geneticist doesn't know much about ASDs.