infantile autism

American

[in-fuhn-tahyl aw-tiz-uhm] / ˈɪn fənˌtaɪl ˈɔ tɪz əm /

noun

Psychiatry.

(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.

Etymology

Origin of infantile autism

First recorded in 1944; autism ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 1970, I carried out the first U.S. study of the epidemiology of infantile autism, published in Archives of General Psychiatry.

From Scientific American • May 24, 2018

He called it "infantile autism", which was later shortened to just autism.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2016

The most tragic, and in some ways most mysterious, form of mental illness in children is infantile autism.

From Time Magazine Archive

For this condition Dr. Kanner coined the term "infantile autism."

From Time Magazine Archive

Dr. Kanner did not say yes or no; but he has found no case of infantile autism among children of "unsophisticated" parents.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023