autism
noun
au·tism
ˈȯ-ˌti-zəm
: a variable developmental disorder that appears by age three and is characterized especially by difficulties in forming and maintaining social relationships, by impairment of the ability to communicate verbally or nonverbally, and by repetitive behavior patterns and restricted interests and activities
… the chief diagnostic signs of autism are social isolation, lack of eye contact, poor language capacity and absence of empathy …—Vilayanur S. Ramachandran et al.
called also autistic disorder
see autism spectrum disorderLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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