Called “Donald T” within scientific literature, he was diagnosed in 1943, at the age of 10, as having the neurocognitive disorder called autism. As the first case identified by medicine, the American played a key role in identifying this disability, which led him to participate in a large number of interviews, a documentary and a book.
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As a child, Triplett did not respond to his parents' calls and was not interested in other children, but he was able to retain very accurate information and figures on various topics. Concerned, his parents wrote a 22-page letter to a child psychiatrist, in which they detailed the boy's behavior. The text remained a reference in documenting the symptoms of the disorder.
Despite the diagnosis, which, at that time, was considered to cause a serious disability, Triplett continued his studies and worked for more than 60 years at a bank in the small town of Forest, in the state of Mississippi.
In 2020, one in every 36 children was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States, according to a survey carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the country's public health authority.
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