first autism case

The first well-documented case of autism is that of Donald Gray Triplett, who was the first person ever formally diagnosed with autism. He was born in 1933 and at the age of three showed atypical behaviors such as social withdrawal and repetitive actions. In 1938, aged 5, he was evaluated by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner, who in 1943 published a groundbreaking paper titled "Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact," describing 11 children with similar behaviors. Donald Triplett was listed as "Case 1" in this study, marking the earliest clinical recognition and diagnosis of autism as a distinct developmental disorder. Triplett's diagnosis and story became foundational in the understanding and research of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).