Donald Triplett
Donald Triplett | |
|---|---|
| Born | Donald Gray Triplett September 1933 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Millsaps College |
| Occupation | Bank teller |
Donald Gray Triplett (born 1933) was the first person diagnosed with autism. He was first diagnosed by Leo Kanner, and was labeled as "Case 1".[1] Triplett was noted for his savant abilities, particulary being able to name musical notes played on a piano and mentally multiplying numbers to a notable degree.[2]
Triplett was tracked down by John Donvan and Caren Zucker so they could find out his life's story for an article "Autism's First Child" in The Atlantic. He was later featured in the book In a Different Key. He was institutionalized at three years of age, but his parents pulled him out one year later. His father, Oliver, described him as socially withdrawn but interested in number patterns, music notes, letters of the alphabet, and U.S. president pictures. By the age of 2, he had the ability to recite the 23rd Psalm and memorized 25 questions and answers from the Presbyterian catechism. He was also interested in creating musical chords.[1][3][2][4]
References
- ^ a b Pallardy, Richard. "Donald Triplett". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- ^ a b Donvan, John; Zucker, Caren. "Autism's First Child". The Atlantic. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- ^ Donvan, John; Zucker, Caren (21 January 2016). "Donald Grey Triplett: The first boy diagnosed as autistic". BBC News. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- ^ Atlas, Darla (29 January 2016). "Donald Triplett: Autism's First-Ever Patient, Now 82, 'Has Continued to Grow'". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 19 March 2017.