Donald Triplett
Donald Gray Triplett | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 8, 1933 Forest, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | June 15, 2023 (aged 89) |
| Occupation | Banking professional |
| Known for | Earliest individual identified with autism; autistic savant |
Donald Gray Triplett (September 8, 1933 – June 15, 2023) was an American banking professional known as the earliest individual identified with autism.[1] In 1943, Leo Kanner designated him as "Case 1," noting Triplett's remarkable savant talents such as perfect pitch and swift mental calculation skills.[2]
Early life
Donald was born in Forest, Mississippi to parents Beamon and Mary Triplett. As a young child, he was notably withdrawn, exhibiting limited social engagement and atypical speech patterns. At three years old, he was institutionalized but released after a year. Early on, he showed fascination with numerical sequences, musical notes, letters, and U.S. presidents. By the age of one, he could accurately replicate numerous melodies and later committed the 23rd Psalm and Presbyterian catechism questions to memory.[3][4]
His interests expanded to musical chords and rhymes, frequently responding with monosyllabic replies such as "yes" or "no." He favored spinning circular objects over conventional children's playground apparatus. His conduct included frequent emotional outbursts and echolalia, alongside challenges in proper pronoun use. He often disregarded people nearby, including a Santa Claus performer arranged by his father.[3]
During appointments at the Harriet Lane Home in 1938, Kanner identified him as autistic. Donald exhibited compulsive behaviors and distinctive answers to questions—for instance, responding “I'll draw a hexagon” when asked subtraction problems.[3]
Following his return home, Triplett showed improved focus and began playing basic piano melodies but continued to experience meltdowns and actions such as standing on tables and chewing paper. He acquired vocabulary from an encyclopedia without understanding context, communicated solely when desiring something, and developed a habit of organizing film reels and Time magazine editions by date rather than their content.[3]
Education and adult life
Triplett’s diagnosis initiated a complex chapter in autism history marked by debates among professionals and advocates.
Nevertheless, he and his family maintained a distance from these broader discussions. He attended the local high school where he was socially accepted and graduated in 1958 with a bachelor's degree in French from Millsaps College. Subsequently, he returned to his hometown to serve for 65 years at a community bank partially owned by his father.
His hobbies included playing golf daily, learning to drive in his late twenties, and traveling internationally. He resided alone in the spacious family residence he inherited.
Legacy
Journalists John Donvan and Caren Zucker chronicled Triplett’s story in their article "Autism's First Child" for The Atlantic. He was also profiled in their book In a Different Key, which was later adapted into a PBS documentary. His family emphasizes that his life "provides hope to parents."
Death
Donald Gray Triplett passed away at home due to cancer on June 15, 2023, at the age of 89.
External links
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