au·tism
 autism
 |
|
- pronunciation:
- aw
tih
z
m
- features:
- Word Parts
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition: |
Autism is a certain problem with the mind. Autism develops in some children, and in these children it begins to show when they are very young. Autism continues in people even when they become adults, though. When a child has autism, they have problems with language and problems interacting with other people. Some children may seem as if they are not interested in other people at all. Some children with autism have difficulty learning language, and those who learn language well may have difficulty knowing how to use language with other people. They may talk about the same thing all the time, for example.
Some people with autism have very few interests, but they may know a very great deal about each of these interests.Many children with autism do very well in school. People with autism vary a great deal in their abilities and in the way they interact with people. |
| derivation: |
autistic (adj.) |
The word autism
contains the following parts:
aut, auto
Greek
prefix
that means
self
Example words:
-ism1
Greek
noun-forming suffix
that means
act, process, state, practice, or instance of
More about this word part:
The suffix -ism1 attaches to Greek roots to form nouns which usually have a corresponding verb ending in "-ize, -ise". See also -ism2.
Example words: