autism

American  

[aw-tiz-uhm] / ˈɔ tɪz əm /

noun

Psychiatry.

1. a developmental disability of highly variable presentation, commonly characterized by social and communication differences, repetitive behaviors, intense specialized interests, and differences in sensory processing; autism spectrum disorder.

2. Sometimes classic autism (no longer in clinical use) a developmental disability that commonly manifests in early childhood, characterized by repetitive or restricted behaviors, differences in understanding social interactions, and delayed development of linguistic and cognitive abilities: formerly contrasted with Asperger syndrome.

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autism British  

/ ˈɔːtɪzəm /

noun

1. psychiatry a developmental disorder whose symptoms include difficulty in responding conventionally to people and actions and limited use of communication

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Usage

Rather than talking about an autistic or autistics , it is better to use phrases such as a person with autism and people with autism

Other Word Forms

• autist noun
• autistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of autism

First recorded in 1910–15, for an earlier sense; coined in 1944 by Austrian-American psychiatrist Leo Kanner (1894–1981), for the current sense (in the phrase infantile autism ); from German Autismus (in the earlier sense), from New Latin; aut- + -ism

Example Sentences

These include increased funding for colleges, a "fair deal" for island communities, action on delayed discharge from hospital and better care for people with autism and ADHD.

From BBC

According to the autism nonprofit, Autism Speaks, one in 31 children and one in 45 adults in the U.S. has autism.

From Los Angeles Times

The National Autistic Society described autism as a "lifelong neurodivergence and disability" which influences how people experience and interact with the world.

From BBC

The results provide new insight into the genetic factors that may contribute to neurodevelopmental conditions, including changes in brain size, autism, and developmental delay.

From Science Daily

His department rewrote a government webpage to suggest that vaccines may cause autism, a claim most scientists say is unsupported.

From The Wall Street Journal