First person diagnosed with autism, Donald Triplett, passes away at 89.
Donald Gray Triplett, the first person diagnosed with autism symptoms, has died at the age of 89. Triplett was identified as “Donald T.” in the 1943 paper “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact” by Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins Hospital. He worked at the Bank of Forest for almost 65 years and was remembered as a “fixture” at the small Mississippi city bank. Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) incorporates a group of neurodevelopmental disorders causing impaired communication skills and social skills.