Medical Figure. He was the first person to be diagnosed with autism. His parents had described him as a socially withdrawn child in his youth, and yet he was also gifted with such abilities as the ability to memorize lengthy texts, musical compositions, and trivia questions and answers. In 1938, he was brought by his parents to the Harriet Lane Home, where he was diagnosed with autism by Dr. Leo Kanner and given the designation "Case 1." After his diagnosis, he became more socially outgoing and learned how to play the piano. He then graduated from Millsaps College with a bachelor's Degree in French and worked for over 60 years for a bank that his father partially owned. He was able to become self-sufficient later in life, as he received his driver's license in his late 20s and was able to take care of himself at the home where he grew up. His case was rediscovered in 2010 by journalists John Donvan and Caren Zucker when he was interviewed for a piece in "The Atlantic," "Autism's First Child," and in 2016, a book about his case was published called "In a Different Key: The Story of Autism," which was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. At the time of his death, he was the longest-living person known to be autistic.
Medical Figure. He was the first person to be diagnosed with autism. His parents had described him as a socially withdrawn child in his youth, and yet he was also gifted with such abilities as the ability to memorize lengthy texts, musical compositions, and trivia questions and answers. In 1938, he was brought by his parents to the Harriet Lane Home, where he was diagnosed with autism by Dr. Leo Kanner and given the designation "Case 1." After his diagnosis, he became more socially outgoing and learned how to play the piano. He then graduated from Millsaps College with a bachelor's Degree in French and worked for over 60 years for a bank that his father partially owned. He was able to become self-sufficient later in life, as he received his driver's license in his late 20s and was able to take care of himself at the home where he grew up. His case was rediscovered in 2010 by journalists John Donvan and Caren Zucker when he was interviewed for a piece in "The Atlantic," "Autism's First Child," and in 2016, a book about his case was published called "In a Different Key: The Story of Autism," which was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. At the time of his death, he was the longest-living person known to be autistic.
Bio by: J.C
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