infantile autism

[ in-fuhn-tahyl aw-tiz-uhm ]

nounPsychiatry.
  1. (no longer in technical use) a disorder appearing in children before the age of two and a half, characterized by a lack of interest in others, impaired communication skills, and unusual behavior, such as ritualistic acts and very strong attachment to objects: now typically known as autism spectrum disorder.

Origin of infantile autism

1
First recorded in1944; see autism

Words Nearby infantile autism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024