autism

Coined in 1912 by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler (1857-1939) from Latin autismus, from Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, “self”) and Latin -ismus (“-ism”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɔːtɪz.əm/

autism (usually uncountable, plural autisms)

1. (clinical psychology) A pervasive neurological disorder that is observable in early childhood and persists throughout the lifespan, characterised by atypical communication, language development, eye contact, and sensory experiences.
   • 2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 72-3:

     Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.

2. (clinical psychology) Synonym of autism spectrum (disorder); generalization of the specific to a range.
3. (historical, clinical psychology, now medically obsolete) A diagnosis involving a pathological tendency to engage in self-centered fantasy thinking, historically considered a symptom of insanity and/or schizophrenia.

• (autism spectrum): autistic spectrum

(the specific, instead of the generalized range):

• autism (the generalized range, instead of the specific)
• autism spectrum
• autistic spectrum
• autism spectrum disorder
• autistic spectrum disorder

(autism spectrum):

• Asperger syndrome / Asperger's syndrome / Asperger's / Asperger
• autism (the specific, instead of the generalized form)

• on the spectrum

• pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), PDD-NOS
• disability, handicap
• mutism, selective mutism
• special education
• schizothymia
• schizoid personality disorder
• schizotypal personality disorder

• autism at OneLook Dictionary Search
• autism in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

• Matsui, Tamsui, Tauism