Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04661-7 BRIEF REPORT Brief Report: Facial Asymmetry and Autistic‑Like Traits in the General Population Maryam Boutrus 1,2,3  · Zulqarnain Gilani 4,7  · Murray T. Maybery 3  · Gail A. Alvares 1,2  · Diana W. Tan 1,3  · Peter R. Eastwood 5,6  · Ajmal Mian 4  · Andrew J. O. Whitehouse 1,2 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020 Abstract Atypical facial morphology, particularly increased facial asymmetry, has been identifed in some individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). Many cognitive, behavioural and biological features associated with ASC also occur on a continuum in the general population. The aim of the present study was to examine subthreshold levels of autistic traits and facial morphology in non-autistic individuals. Facial asymmetry was measured using three-dimensional facial photogram- metry, and the Autism-spectrum Quotient was used to measure autistic-like traits in a community-ascertained sample of young adults (n = 289). After accounting for covariates, there were no signifcant associations observed between autistic-like traits and facial asymmetry, suggesting that any potential facial morphology diferences linked to ASC may be limited to the clinical condition. Keywords Autism · Facial asymmetry · Morphology · Neurotypical · Neurodevelopment The face and brain originate in utero from the same ecto- dermal layer and continue to develop throughout pregnancy in close coordination (Marcucio et al. 2015). Diferences in facial characteristics are therefore considered a potential indicator of atypical brain development, and facial dysmor- phology has been observed in several neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., Down Syndrome; Allanson et al. 1993; or Williams Syndrome; Morris et al. 1988). Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are a group of neu- rodevelopmental conditions characterized by difculties with social communication and by restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests (American Psychiatric Association 2013). While ASC is not typically associated with distinct facial characteristics, a recent review identifed 12 studies examining the facial morphology of adults and children with ASC compared to that of typically developing (TD) individuals (Boutrus et al. 2017). Of the facial struc- tures investigated, only fndings relating to greater facial asymmetry (FA) were shown to have a consistent degree of replication. FA refers to a lack of correspondence in either the size, shape or arrangement of facial features on opposite sides of the median plane (Ercan et al. 2008). Diferences between corresponding sides can occur along the horizontal (e.g. left or right displacement of the mouth from the facial midline), vertical (e.g. one eye being higher than the other) or depth (e.g. a sunken cheek relative to the other) axes of the face (Lewis 2017). While all individuals display vary- ing degrees of FA, greater bilateral deviations have been associated with increased exposure to early developmental stressors (see Graham and Özener 2016 for a review). Using three-dimensional (3D) dense surface-modelling techniques, Hammond et al. (2008) compared the facial morphology of autistic boys to that of their male siblings * Maryam Boutrus Maryam.Boutrus@telethonkids.org.au 1 Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Rd, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia 2 Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, Australia 3 School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia 4 Computer Sciences and Software Engineering, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia 5 School of Human Sciences, Centre for Sleep Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia 6 Department of Pulmonary Physiology & Sleep Medicine, West Australian Sleep Disorders Research Institute, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth,, Australia 7 School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia