How to Say "Autism" in Spanish

autismo

/auˈtismo/masculine

The Spanish word for autism is autismo.

autismo is a masculine noun used to refer to the neurological disorder.

Meaning: neurological disorder (noun)

How does it change in a sentence?

autismo is a masculine noun. When referring to the condition in a general sense, it is typically used with the definite article el, as in el autismo.

/auˈtismo/

While autismo is the formal term, Spanish speakers frequently use the phrase está en su mundo to describe an autistic person's internal experience.
The word autismo shares the same Greek root as the English word 'autonomy', both stemming from autós meaning 'self'.
While autismo is the medical term, many Spanish-speaking advocacy groups prefer the term condición del espectro autista to emphasize it as a state of being rather than a disease.

Su hijo tiene autismo.
Their son has autism.
This sentence shows how to state that someone has autismo.
Tatoeba #9679008 by Shishir, translation #5170107 by Lindoula
El dos de abril es el día mundial de concienciación sobre el autismo.
April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day.
This sentence mentions the awareness day related to autismo.
Tatoeba #5040439 by Helio, translation #8193850 by ljradio
El autismo con frecuencia es una fuente de problemas pero no pocas veces es también una bendición disfrazada.
Autism is frequently a source of problems, but also often a blessing in disguise.
This sentence provides a descriptive perspective on autismo.
Tatoeba #10354242 by Seael, translation #11903543 by DJ_Saidez
Mi primo tiene autismo.
My cousin has autism.
El trastorno del espectro autista puede manifestarse de diferentes maneras.
Autism spectrum disorder can manifest in different ways.
Mi hijo tiene una condición del espectro autista, pero eso no limita su potencial.
My son has a condition of the autism spectrum, but that doesn't limit his potential.
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are discussing a medical documentary they watched.

Sofía

El documental explica muy bien el autismo.
The documentary explains autism very well.
Daniel

Sí, aprendí mucho sobre los síntomas.
Yes, I learned a lot about the symptoms.
Sofía

Es importante entender cómo funciona el autismo.
It is important to understand how autism works.
Daniel

Tienes razón, Sofía. La empatía es fundamental.
You are right, Sofia. Empathy is fundamental.

Sources

Wiktionary, “autism” translations and entries autismo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries autismo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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