A mother tracks down the first person ever diagnosed with autism, now an elderly man living in rural Mississippi, to learn if his life story holds promise for her own autistic son. Her journey exposes a startling record of cruelty and kindness alike, framed by forces like race, money and privilege – but leads to hope that more communities are learning to have the backs of people on the spectrum.
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The Story Behind "In a Different Key"
The following is an Oct 14, 2022 article by Katie Kilkenny for The Hollywood Reporter:
In a Different Key, presented by Boston public media institution GBH, centers on co-director and journalist Caren Zucker’s search for the first-ever child diagnosed with autism, Donald Triplett. The film will trace the growing friendship between the Mississippi-based Triplett and Zucker, who has an autistic son, as she grapples with the future for her child once she is gone.
Fellow journalist John Donvan, a longtime network correspondent and producer, co-directed the film with Zucker, a former producer for ABC World News Tonight and Nightline. The film features original music by Wynton Marsalis and was funded by Liberty Mutual.
“Really, it’s an untold story of an unrecognized civil rights movement,” Zucker says in a statement of the film. “But it’s also a love story, where the arc of justice is really bending in the right direction – just not fast enough for mothers like me.”
Zucker and Donvan co-wrote the book In a Different Key: The Story of Autism, which was published in 2016 and became a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction. Zucker and Donvan first established a relationship with Triplett when they co-wrote the 2010 The Atlantic magazine story, “Autism’s First Child,” which was included in The Best American Magazine Writing 2011 compendium.
Triplett was deemed “Case 1” in a 1943 article that reported on what is now called Autism Spectrum Disorder, or autism. He has lived in his hometown of Forest, Mississippi his whole life, which Zucker and Donvan described as “long, happy, and surprising” in their Atlantic story.
“We hope the film touches audiences that don’t necessarily have that direct connection to autism,” added Dovnan in a statement. “Every community can be part of the solution for supporting people on the spectrum, including where they work, live, go to school and beyond.”
Corporate funding for In A Different Key is provided by:
Donald Triplett, who in 1943 was described as "Case 1" in the seminal study introducing the diagnosis of autism, walks in his hometown of Forest, MS.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from 'In A Different Key'
Donald Triplett (right) with his brother Oliver.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from 'In A Different Key'
Jonah Lutz drawing Sesame Street characters.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from 'In A Different Key'
A collage of drawings by Jonah Lutz rendered into a portrait of him by his sister.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from 'In A Different Key'
Jason McCarver a single dad and his autistic son Shamus.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from 'In A Different Key'
Mickey McGuinness showing his sister Molly the stuffed animal he has named after her.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from 'In A Different Key'
Mickey has dozens of animals, each one assigned to a person in his life, along with a song, a number, and an element on the periodic table. Phoenix, AZ
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Terry Stewart/ Still from 'In A Different Key'
Dell Parks, a young autistic man, assisting his dad Wendell at a neighborhood cookout. Dell's mom is an anthropologist at UCLA studying patterns of racism in autism diagnosis. Los Angeles, CA.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from 'In A Different Key'
A law enforcement officer meets Slade, a young man with autism, in a class where each can learn more about the other. The goal: reduce the odds for dangerous encounters owing to misunderstanding.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from 'In A Different Key'
Nick Pletnikoff at his business making dog tags.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from 'In A Different Key'
Donald Triplett worked for decades at the Bank of Forest, MS. He has spent his entire life in the small town, where he is loved and accepted.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from ‘In A Different Key’
Diagnosed with autism at age 40, John Elder Robison found real acceptance working for bands like Kiss and Pink Floyd. He built amps and other equipment, and was nicknamed ‘Ampie’.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from ‘In A Different Key’
Mickey and his mother Caren visit a cat shelter where Mickey, who loves to talk about cats and collect stuffed animal cats, finds the real thing more unpredictable than he's comfortable with.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from ‘In A Different Key’
The workplace can be a challenging environment for many people on the spectrum. Here, Mickey McGuinness tries his hand calling the numbers for Bingo at a retirement home.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from ‘In A Different Key’
Mickey likes to make people laugh, especially with cat sounds, cat puns and cat-themed songs on his phone. It’s one way he connects to people.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from ‘In A Different Key’
Amy Gravino has painful memories of the bullying she endured in school for being different. Today she is known for her talks about sex and autism, as well as her sense of humor.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from ‘In A Different Key’
Jonah Lutz loves to spin around the room to Sesame Street music. As his mother Amy describes it, “he looks like Scot Hamilton on ice skates sometimes”.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from ‘In A Different Key’
Mickey and his friend Matt spend hours together, hanging out and playing Scrabble on Matt’s tablet.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from ‘In A Different Key’
Benni and Jensen became best friends early. One is on the spectrum, the other is not. They met at the Community School in Phoenix, AZ, which encourages such connections and friendship.
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Terry Stewart/ Still from ‘In A Different Key’
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