Donald G. Triplett, the first person diagnosed with autism, dies aged 89
He was known as a fiercely independent savant 'and he kept things interesting'.
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He was known as a fiercely independent savant 'and he kept things interesting'.
The Mississippi man known as "Case 1," the first person to be diagnosed with autism, has died.
Mississippi native Donald Triplett, the first person to be diagnosed with autism who was also known in scientific journals as "Case 1," has died at the age of 89.
A fiercely independent savant, Triplett was the subject of a book, a documentary and countless medical journal articles.
Triplett was referred to as "Donald T." in the 1943 paper "Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact" by Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was also the focus of a PBS documentary film and the book "In a Different Key: The Story of Autism."