autism

Etymology

From German Autismus, coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, first usage dated to 1907 attributed by Carl Jung as an alternative of his for "auto-erotism", although Bleuler himself differentiates the terms in his book Dementia Praecox, first published 1911. From Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, “self”) + -ισμός (-ismós, “-ism”).

noun

1. (clinical psychology) A pervasive neurological condition that is observable in early childhood and persists throughout the lifespan, characterised by atypical communication, language development, eye contact, and sensory experiences.
   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. 2013-06-29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, pages 72–3
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.
4. (Internet slang, offensive, derogatory, often self-deprecating) Abnormal and unhealthy focus or persistence, stereotypically coupled with low self-awareness and unhealthy hatred of opposition or criticism.