Library / Neurodivergent Identity
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In a Different Key
A whole town decided the 'odd' guy was just theirs. That's what belonging can look like.
Who it's for
Parents of autistic children often carry a quiet dread about what happens when they are no longer there.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Journalists Caren Zucker and John Donvan directed this documentary, adapted from their Pulitzer-finalist book on the history of autism. It follows Zucker's search for Donald Triplett, the first person diagnosed with autism ('Case 1' in a 1943 paper), and the friendship that grows between them in the small Mississippi town where he has lived all his life and where the community has accepted him.
Where to find it
PBS (national broadcast Dec 2022); may be on PBS streaming. Streaming availability rotates; check JustWatch.
Before you start
Heads up: Past mistreatment of autistic people.
Age: Not verified (suggested 10+)
Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself,” Leaves of Grass
