Children With Facial Difference Have a Lot to Teach Us About Body Image

Facial deformities seem to help many children develop better body image perception, research reveals

The film "Wonder" tells the story of a boy with severe facial defects. IMDb/Lionsgate, Mandeville Films, Participant Media, Walden Media

The 2017 film “Wonder” tells the story of a boy born with a severe facial deformity. The film picks up at the point where Auggie, having been home-schooled by his mother, attends a regular school for the first time and must negotiate the varied reactions—not just of his new peers, but of their parents and the other adults.

Auggie was born with Treacher Collins syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the development of the skull, jaw, and cheekbones and causes facial defects and hearing loss. The book was inspired by the author, R. J. Palacio’s encounter with a little girl who had severe facial deformities.