autism

noun

au·​tism ˈȯ-ˌti-zəm 

: a neurodevelopmental disorder that typically appears by age two, that is variable in expression but is usually diagnosed by persistent impairments in social interaction and communication and by stereotyped (see stereotyped sense 2) patterns of behavior, activities, or interests, and that may be accompanied by cognitive or language impairments : autism spectrum disorder

Not long ago, autism was assumed to be comparatively rare, affecting as few as 1 in 10,000 people. The latest studies, however, suggest that as many as 1 in 150 kids age 10 and younger may be affected by autism …

—J. Madeleine Nash

But what researchers have come to agree on is that autism is a "spectrum" disorder. In other words, it's not a condition with a single set of symptoms. Instead, affected children face different challenges—and there are different levels of severity.

—Melissa Fay Greene

Examples of autism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An environmental lawyer, Kennedy has echoed this false claim, even after Wakefield’s study was retracted and several studies have found no association between the vaccine and autism. —Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025

His eight-year-old son, Nick, who has autism, learned some of his first words by watching The Price is Right. —David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025

The links between - the alleged links between MMR vaccine and autism have been the subject of some of the most - the largest studies ever undertaken. —CBS News, 23 Feb. 2025

Family members told police that Villegas had severe autism and was non-verbal, but didn’t have any major health problems, according to the release. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Autismus "group of supposed symptoms of schizophrenia that involve a turning away from reality," from Greek autós "self, the same" + German -ismus -ism — more at auto-

Note: The German term Autismus was introduced, along with the corresponding adjective autistisch (see autistic), by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler (1857-1939), in the paper "Zur Theorie des schizophrenen Negativismus," Psychiatrisch-Neurologische Wochenschrift, Nr. 19 (August 6, 1910), 12. Jahrgang 1910/11, pp. 184-98. Adaptation of the word in English to designate what is now termed autism spectrum disorder has been credited to the Austrian-born American physician and psychiatrist Leo Kanner (1894-1981), in the paper "Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact," The Nervous Child, vol. 2 (1943), pp. 217-50. German Autismus and autistisch were used five years earlier to describe essentially the same syndrome by the Austrian physician Hans Asperger (1906-80), in an article in Wiener klinische Wochenschrift ("Das psychisch abnorme Kind," Band 51 [1938], pp. 1314-17), the text of a lecture given on October 3, 1938: "Innerhalb dieser wohl charakterisierten Gruppe von Kindern, die wir wegen der Einengung ihrer Beziehungen zur Umwelt, wegen der Beschränkung auf das eigene Selbst (αυτός) 'autistische Psychopathen' nennen, gibt es nun freilich wieder recht verschiedene, auch recht verschieden zu bewertende Menschen." ("Within this well-characterized group of children, whom we call 'autistic psychopaths' owing to the narrowing of connections to their surroundings and restriction to their own selves (autós), there are to be sure quite a variety of people, among them people to be variably evaluated.") (Note that psychopath here means simply "person judged to be suffering from some mental disorder"—it does not have its current English meaning.) Asperger later acknowledged that the terms Autismus and autistisch had originally been used by Bleuler.

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing autism

• autism spectrum disorder

Rhymes for autism

• ism
• pisum
• prism
• schism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism
• anticommunism
• antisemitism
• antiterrorism
• bioterrorism
• colloquialism

Kids Definition

autism

noun

au·​tism ˈȯ-ˌtiz-əm 

: a disorder that is characterized especially by problems in interacting and communicating with other people and by doing some activities over and over again

Medical Definition

autism

noun

au·​tism ˈȯ-ˌtiz-əm 

: a neurodevelopmental disorder that typically appears by age two, that is variable in expression but is usually diagnosed by persistent impairments in social interaction and communication and by stereotyped (see stereotyped sense 2) patterns of behavior, activities, or interests, and that may be accompanied by cognitive or language impairments : autism spectrum disorder

Autism diagnosis has traditionally been most common in childhood, when differences from neurotypical peers may first become obvious. However, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the rate of adult diagnosis, particularly as diagnostic criteria have been broadened such that individuals who may not have received an autism diagnosis in childhood may now meet current diagnostic criteria.

—Laura Hull et al., Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Many people with autism have problems understanding metaphors, sometimes interpreting them literally. They also have difficulty miming other people's actions.

—Vilayanur S. Ramachandran et al., Scientific American

In approximately 10% of patients, autism can be explained by genetic syndromes and known chromosomal anomalies …

—Lauren A Weiss et al., The New England Journal of Medicine