preautistic en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
From pre- + autistic.
Meanings
-
(not-comparable, qualifier:autism) Before the readily apparent onset of autism.
Bettelheim's (1967) theory of autism proposes that for several possible reasons (e.g., pain or discomfort, misperception) the preautistic child perceives that his mother has rejected him/her and begins to withdraw from him/her […]
1989, Johnny L. Matson, Chronic schizophrenia and adult autism: