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

A large study from Sweden published by The BMJ now suggests that autism may occur at similar rates in males and females.

From Science Daily

Rahman has autism and is recovering from a traumatic brain injury.

From Los Angeles Times

Recent additions include Barbies with Type 1 diabetes and another with autism.

From Los Angeles Times

More people with learning disabilities and autism in England suffered deaths classed as avoidable in 2023 than initially thought, corrected figures show.

From BBC

The company says it is developing traditional Chinese medicine, primarily herbal formulas, to treat autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal