infantile autism

[ in-fuhn-tahyl aw-tiz-uhm ]

noun

, Psychiatry.

1. (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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of infantile autism¹

First recorded in 1944; autism ( def )

Example Sentences

In the 1940s, psychiatrists started placing blame for what they called “infantile autism” squarely on the shoulders of mothers.

From Washington Post

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

Coining the term “infantile autism,” he described a syndrome characterized by early onset, an extreme need for sameness and an extreme preference for being alone.

From Wall Street Journal

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

From BBC

However, seven of those babies, or 0.87 percent, were diagnosed with infantile autism, compared to the rate of 0.4 percent among kids in general.

From Reuters