autism
(no longer in clinical use) a pervasive developmental disorder that commonly manifests in early childhood, characterized by impaired communication, excessive rigidity, and emotional detachment: now considered one of the autism spectrum disorders.
Origin of autism
1Other words from autism
- au·tist, noun
- au·tis·tic [aw-tis-tik], /ɔˈtɪs tɪk/, adjective
- au·tis·ti·cal·ly, adverb
- un·au·tis·tic, adjective
Words that may be confused with autism
- artistic, autistic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use autism in a sentence
That group is composed of high-schoolers in career preparatory programs, young children with autism, some students with disabilities and some English learners.
In sudden switch, Loudoun County is returning all students to online learning | Hannah Natanson | December 10, 2020 | Washington PostIn autism, depression, schizophrenia, and other neurological hiccups, these mechanisms break down.
How Does Social Interaction Change Our Brains? Hyperscans Can Show Us | Shelly Fan | December 8, 2020 | Singularity HubThe word “autism” never appears in these pages, but Majella craves routines, enjoys repetitive actions and finds social situations awkward.
She found a position as a teaching assistant at a private school for children with autism that paid almost $16 an hour.
People with Developmental Disabilities Were Promised Help. Instead, They Face Delays and Denials. | by Amy Silverman for Arizona Daily Star, with data analysis by Alex Devoid, Arizona Daily Star | November 5, 2020 | ProPublicaDonella Pogue has trouble finding dentists in her rural area willing to accommodate her 21-year-old son, Justin, who is 6 feet, 8 inches tall, is on the autism spectrum and has difficulty sitting still when touched.
Teledentistry is filling a cavity left by the pandemic, but some caution it can’t replace in-person visits | lbelanger225 | October 21, 2020 | Fortune
“I ran for my life,” said Tenayo, who is a home attendant for an autistic resident, but wants to transfer because of the crime.
I did a little research and now, I mean, yikes, he's the guy that's okay with letting schools forcibly pin down autistic kids.
Bill Maher Finds the Worst Congressman in America | Ana Marie Cox | October 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTNo one autistic is brought on the show to give another perspective, nor was one included on previous or subsequent shows.
The Mommy Blogger Who Tried to Kill Her Autistic Daughter Talks to Dr. Phil | Elizabeth Picciuto | October 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDr. Phil recently interviewed Kelli Stapleton, a mother who tried to kill her teenage autistic daughter.
The Mommy Blogger Who Tried to Kill Her Autistic Daughter Talks to Dr. Phil | Elizabeth Picciuto | October 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTA group of bullies tricked an autistic boy into doing the popular Ice Bucket Challenge—only the bucket was full of human waste.
Ice Bucket Challenge Bullies Messed with the Wrong Internet | Elizabeth Heideman | September 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST(a) The autistic retirement of the patient into his own phantasies.
Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology | C. G. JungSuch autistic thought is dominated not by logic or will, but by feeling.
The Life of the Spirit and the Life of To-day | Evelyn UnderhillIt is, in psychological language, the region of autistic as contrasted with realistic thought.
The Life of the Spirit and the Life of To-day | Evelyn UnderhillAutistic thinking gratifies some desire and that is enough for it.
Psychology | Robert S. WoodworthIt cannot afford to be autistic, but must meet objective or social standards.
Psychology | Robert S. Woodworth
British Dictionary definitions for autism
/ (ˈɔːtɪzəm) /
psychiatry a developmental disorder whose symptoms include difficulty in responding conventionally to people and actions and limited use of communication
Origin of autism
1usage For autism
Derived forms of autism
- autistic, adjective, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for autism
[ ô′tĭz′əm ]
A developmental disorder characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication and by abnormal behavior patterns, such as the repetition of specific movements or a tendency to focus on certain objects. Autism is evident in the first years of life. Its cause is unknown.
Other words from autism
- autistic adjective
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for autism (1 of 2)
[ (aw-tiz-uhm) ]
A serious disorder appearing in childhood and characterized by the child's refusal to relate to other people and severely limited use of language. The cause of autism in children is unknown, but researchers generally feel that it lies in a malfunction of the central nervous system, not in the way parents have treated them or in other aspects of their environment. The term is sometimes applied, more loosely, to adults who are extremely self-absorbed and who see things in terms of their hopes and fantasies rather than realistically.
A psychiatric disorder marked by deficits in communication and social interaction.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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